Team SIN
by WritingForMuffins
Summary: Team SIN, also known as Special Investigations and Negotiations, has not been in place since the Sannin were mere children.Yet, the team has been reinstated, and by those none would have ever expected. Follow Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru as they take up the mantle of Team SIN! AU
1. Team Sin

**Hello again! If you're an old reader to this, you'll notice the huge changes from the original. If not, then I welcome you to Team SIN! **

**Now, this chapter was rewritten for the main reason of that I felt the beginning chapters were less-than-presentable. Okay, but not great. I improved so much in my first couple months that I just wasn't happy with what I was presenting to my readers anymore. It holds the same story and characters, just with some huge rewording done.**

**I hope you'll stay along for the ride!**

-o-

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Naruto in any way, simply my ideas and my words that follow.

-o-

Most days, the Hokage office was bustling with lines of people filing in and out to meet with their village leader. Sometimes it was simple things, such as mission requests and briefings, others it was difficult, like meetings with the Daimyo and debates with the council. Today, the Hokage was blessed with an easy schedule, only a few appointments.

"Hokage-sama, your next meeting is ready."

Most days, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Professor and dubbed 'God of Shinobi', detested what his life had become. The withered old man sat quietly hunched over behind a wooden desk, stacks of paper piled around him making a paperwork fortress. How long he had been there was anyone's guess, but he had likely been scribbling through the stacks all day. He paused for a moment, thanking his secretary, and set down his pen with a sharp clack that filled the otherwise empty room.

He had not minded the job as Hokage when it had been his own time in office, but he felt he had long overstayed his welcome. Keeping the hat had become more of a chore than an honor since the death of his successor (he loved Konoha, truly), and it had been seven years since he had been forced back into office. After the Kyuubi attack, none were suited for stepping up for the hat. Shimura Danzo was willing, but Hiruzen wouldn't budge on that one. There were many talented youth as well, such as Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi, but they were still just children. In the past seven years, he felt the Will of Fire had reached an all-time-low.

Yet, as long as he was needed, he would stay where his village needed him most. Besides, the paperwork wasn't that bad, simply tedious after a few years. That and far too much of it was centered on a small, blond-haired child for his liking.

The office door opened with little protest, and soft footsteps glided across the hardwood floors. Their owner bowed quickly before sitting in one of the available seats, shifting awkwardly in the comfy armchair.

Hiruzen couldn't have said he expected to see Hyuuga Michi, the Matriarch of the Hyuuga sitting in front of him. The meeting request had been signed with a 'Hyuuga M.', and he had passed it off for being a mission request for weeding gardens and such. For some reason he felt quite wrong.

Long indigo hair cascaded down the woman's back, framing her face in an elegant style. The lavender eyes of the Hyuuga fit her porcelain-like skin perfectly, and a slight blush danced across her cheeks. In short, she was the epitome of high class. He paid close attention as she knotted her hands together on her kimono, and the slightly frantic way her eyes darted around the room. Noticing his eyes watching her, she did her best to straighten herself out. "Thank you for seeing me today, Hokage-sama."

"It's no trouble at all, Hyuuga-san. How are your daughters doing?" Slightly taken aback by his cheerful manner, Michi blushed slightly.

"That is actually the reason I have asked for your audience. I-if it isn't too much trouble, I would prefer this conversation to be a private one." Understanding and finding no threat in her words, the Hokage snapped his fingers once, four black blurs gone just as fast as they had appeared "Thank you. My eldest Hinata turned seven quite some time ago, and while Hiashi and I have been stalling their decision of the Elders for as long as possible, they have reached a decision. They feel Hinata is unfit to be a Hyuuga."

"What do you mean by that, Hyuuga-san?" Michi was now staring at her lap in silence, shaking slightly. He gave her a few moments to collect herself.

"They wish to kill her off, and make Hanabi the immediate heir. I know much of the blame is being placed one me, as I was her sensei most of her life. She is sweet, quiet, and reserved, nothing like a _proper_ Hyuuga should be. Hanabi is only two, and therefore still impressionable. Hinata, to them, is worth not even enough to be transferred into the side branch." Though he did not show it, Hiruzen was deeply shocked the Hyuuga would even attempt something like this. He knew they were proud, dreadfully so, and as arrogant as they came. He had no idea they were willing to go to such lengths to achieve their goals.

As Michi met the Hokage's eyes for the first time that day, he understood how desperate she was. And sadly, he knew he could do nothing to help. There were too many laws that kept him from interfering with what happened inside the Hyuuga household, and as long as the Elder's covered their tracks well, nothing legal could be done. Unless...

"What if I turned her into a Shinobi?" Michi had obviously been looking for an answer, but it hadn't been one she was expecting. "As a Genin, she must answer to me before the clan. Therefore, if they kill one of my Shinobi, I can act against them. Do you believe she is proficient enough to be promoted?"

"S-she has never been to the academy, but you have my word. She is talented, just not at the subjects of a Hyuuga. I've trained her in everything, fearing for her safety, as well as my own. But if she were to take the test now, I think she would have a fair chance." She raised both of her hands to cover her mouth, as if praying. Hiruzen nodded, pleased he had found a solution. And if the plan he had thinned out, he knew exactly who to put on her team. Not an older student who asked too many questions and certainly not a sensei who did the same thing. But...

"Sir" the secretaries' voice ran through the office, gaining both occupants attention, "_he_ is here to see you".

The Hokage nodded at her, motioned to Michi, and headed after the secretary. He had not missed the tone of the woman's voice, but it also let him know exactly who was asking for him.

-o-

Down in the waiting room, a small blond child sat in a chair contentedly. It had taken a lot of work for the secretary to even start listening to him, but he had finally gotten it though her head. Good thing too, or he would have had to resort to pranking. "Naruto-kun, it's nice to see you." Naruto jumped up happily, running to the Hokage and holding up his orange (and slightly battered) notebook.

"Jiji! Sorry, I know you're busy but I wanted to ask for help on my homework. I already did it, but I think if you check the answers first I might get a better grade this time. It seemed a bit harder than everybody else's, but that's okay!"

Michi didn't miss the slight look of anger that passed over the Hokage's face, one that he quickly laughed off. He patted Naruto on the head and turned back to Michi, looking at her a bit sadly. "Naruto here is a prodigy, Hyuuga-san, and is in his last year of the Academy. I believe he might be a good fit to your small dilemma."

Naruto finally seemed to notice she was there as well, bowing to her slightly and running back behind the Hokage. Noting his whiskers, she knew exactly who the child was.

How could she not?

Michi, unlike many in the village, held no animosity for the boy. She understood his role, and from the look of things, was doing it quite well. One of her best friends had held it before him after all, and she knew how she acted. Bitterly, Michi remembered the days she, Kushina, and Mikoto would joke about their children getting married one day. Now, as the last one of her friends, those days were long gone.

Smiling slightly, she held out her hand for his notebook, watching as he handed it over carefully. His eyes were guarded, as if he was still trying to figure out her true intentions, something that no child his age should have to do. As Michi scanned over the work, her blood boiled slightly; the work he was doing was easy high-Genin, possibly even low-Chunin. And yet...

He got them all right.

"You're quite smart, Naruto-kun. Seems like you got them all right." He stared at her in shock for a moment, before his face split into a wide grin that hurt Michi far more than it should have. He acted as if he had never been praised before; then again, he probably hadn't.

That, and at that moment, he looked far too much like Kushina for her liking.

Hiruzen momentarily turned back to Michi, smiling at her approval. "Well, if you could meet them back here tomorrow at the same time, Hyuuga-san?" It seems we still have a few more pieces to this puzzle to figure out."

"Of course. Thank you again, Hokage-sama." She was probably more thankful than she had ever been before in her life. She gave a small wave to Naruto as well, exiting the building and once more meeting the cool spring air. Only twenty minutes had really passed, and the outside world looked just as she left it. The guards at the Hyuuga compound greeted her respectively, and she moved down the halls, the branch members passing by her like ghosts.

Opening the door of her own room, she moved through the darkness until she reached the crib in the very back. Little Hanabi was still sleeping soundly, and Michi picked her up carefully, petting the tufts of mahogany hair. Hanabi was kind now, but she feared for what the elders planned to turn her into.

"Mother? W-when did you get h-home?" Hinata stood in the doorway, her outline illuminated by the light from the hall. Small hands clutched the doorframe, and with another pang of regret Michi ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry about it, love. Have you gotten those passages read yet?" Hinata nodded, clutching her mother's free hand. Michi wasn't happy with turning her into a child soldier, but knew there were very few other options available. She wouldn't be able to help her with meeting her team or her first C-rank or even her first kill.

And that hurt more than anything the Elders could throw at her.

-o-


	2. Team Scouting

**Thanks to everyone that favorite, watched, and reviewed this story!**

**Here's the next chapter, and I warn you in advance that it is mostly talking. Though, it kinda explains what's going to be happening in the next few chapters. Next chapter, we'll get to see the Genin, and hopefully their exam. This is also where OOC Shikamaru starts to play out, but it won't make too much a difference.**

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Sadly, I have no Ownership over Naruto. You must be looking for Kishimoto. If I did, I would have saved my precious Neji. Who else can I pair TenTen with?!

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TEAM SIN, Ch. 2

At 2 o'clock the next day, Michi once again found herself on the path to the Hokage tower. She had put Hanabi down for a nap, and busied Hinata with extra studies. Though she was only seven, Hinata had believed something odd about her mother's odd explorations. Yet, the small girl had been sworn to secrecy, sealed with a pinkie promise.

Heading up the pale stairs once again, she knocked once on the sturdy door, and politely entered the office. The Third was sitting quietly, putting the finishing touches on whatever document he had been working on. Giving her a warm smile, he gave her a small greeting, and gestured to a chair until he finished.

He scribbled a few more words, deciding it was finished and putting it away into a separate pile. Finally, he returned his attention to Michi. "So, are you ready, Hyuuga-san? We still need to find a third team member, and I believe I might be able to pull some strings to get them a worthwhile sensei. Do you have any ideas in mind?"

She shook her head. Honestly, she didn't know all that much about the newest generation. She knew many of the clans had potential heirs and heiresses around Hinata's age, but she hadn't been that familiar with them. Perhaps the aging Hokage had an idea.

"Ah, well, I thought so. I do believe I have a good candidate in mind." Standing up and readjusting his robes, Hiruzen lead her back out the wooden doors.

Back outside in the warm spring air, Michi couldn't help but notice the complete change in the villager's demeanors. Almost everyone bowed respectively to the older man, greeting him with warm smiles and cheerful greetings. He tried his best to match them all in return, she noticed.

After a bit of walking, the busy streets, worn by the thousands of feet that passed over them every day, turned into quiet forest trails. The canopy of leafy trees had blocked off the overhanging sun, and Michi could not recall ever taking this path before. She hadn't even noticed that they had left the village.

Abruptly, the path stopped, and lead into the dark undergrowth. She looked around anxiously, wondering just what the aging Hokage had been thinking. Yet, before she knew, a deer had appeared from between the foliage. Despite the fact it was just an animal, it seemed to sense things anyhow.

Patting it on the head, the Hokage began to speak. "Hello again, Rikumaru. Could you be so kind as to tell Shikaku he has visitors? The Hokage and a friend, to be exact." Patting the deer once more, the duo stood and watched as it headed back into the foliage.

Michi had recognized the name as soon as it came out of the Hokage's mouth. Shikaku was well known among the Shinobi forces as the lead tactician. If they were looking for him, than that made this the Nara forest. It also explained the deer.

After a few short moments, the deer returned, shaking his head to them. With a smile, the Hokage began to follow.

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Nara Shikaku was not a man that was surprised by many things. He had lived through a war, a demon attacking his village (the motives of which he was still contemplating), and his troublesome wife. Yet, he hadn't expected the Hokage and the Hyuuga matriarch to walk into his forest clearing. After years of fighting, there was nothing more he loved than sitting quietly with his deer. They were his best friends, besides his old team, and he had even summoned them on occasion. Rikumaru was his favorite, and the best at conveying emotions. It was also why he was chosen to monitor the perimeters.

He had almost finished up, and was getting ready to pick up Shikamaru from school. His son was much like him in looks, but had something Shikaku, and most Nara males, did not.

Enthusiasm.

He supposed that blame could be placed on Yoshino, as she was as stubborn as an Uchiha was arrogant. His son was still lazy, yes, but had no problems shifting to a perfect little worker. Yoshino loved it.

On the other hand, it confused Shikaku to no end. His son soaked up information like a sponge, and could fool just about anyone into thinking he was just like any other Nara: laid back and lazy. And he was like any other Nara. Shikamaru had one of the sharpest minds the Nara had produced in generations, and would be a prodigy. But Nara were not known for being so… energetic.

Quietly, he listened to the Hokage. The village leader brought up good points, and he could see why he was referring to Shikamaru. He had met the other heirs, and none of them were anywhere near the level of the three soon-to-be Genin. Inoichi's daughter wasn't taking training seriously, and Chouza's son was too kind hearted. Fugaku's youngest son wasn't exactly willing to work with others, and Tsume's didn't even have his first dog yet.

"You sure about this, Hokage-Sama? I mean, yeah, Shika's brilliant, but he's only seven."

"And? You graduated around the same age. I understand your concern, but I also believe he is ready."

Shikaku chewed on this for a moment. He knew his son would have no problem, yes, but it hurt at the same time. He was not known for being a compassionate man, rather a calm calculating once. But this was his son he was talking about! His mind hadn't yet thought where Shikamaru would reside on the chessboard.

"Who would be on his sensei?" He finally asked, giving in to the Hokage's proposal. Hiruzen seemed to contemplate for a moment, shifting ever so slightly in his Hokage robes, before sighing.

"I will have to pull some strings, but I believe my students have neglected their home long enough."

"Ah."

Both Shikaku and Michi had picked up on the meaning. They knew the three children were talented, but enough to attract the attention of the Sannin? The Hokage continued speaking.

"I understand what your worries are, but I believe these three have the potential for something greater. I believe they could be the next Team SIN."

"Sir, who were Team SIN?"

Shikaku already knew the answer to this, but Michi did not. It was very classified information, and not known to many. Yet, the Hokage turned to the perplexed Hyuuga and began to explain.

"Years ago, before the Sannin first displayed their power against Hanzo the Salamander, they were known as a cell called Team SIN, or **S**pecial **I**nvestigations and **N**egotiations. They were a cell of Anbu, often lead by myself, and held the Team until that notorious fight against Hanzo."

Here, he fiddled in his pocket for a moment, pulling out a pipe. He put it to his lips, lighting it with the tiniest spark of a Katon jutsu. Pulling in back out, he continued.

"Team SIN was known for being the best, and most of the records are unbeaten to this day. Unlike normal Anbu, they had their own masks. They were known as Team SIN for their codenames. Jiraiya was Lust, Tsunade Greed. Orochimaru was gluttony."

Shikaku could tell how much trouble the man had saying his old student's name. Though, he supposed the codenames made sense. Jiraiya was known for his perversion, as was Tsunade-Hime for her gambling. Orochimaru most likely had his because of his obsession for power.

"Yet, when they were announced as the Sannin, they retired their masks. They had gotten too popular, too well known, and their years of secrecy would have been shattered." Hiruzen chuckled, remembering when his students had been his team. It seemed like yesterday that they were squabbling like children. "They have put Team SIN long behind them, but they were amazing as an infiltration team. Not just outside of these walls, but within them as well. No one suspected a thing. Hopefully, the remaining members can teach your children, just as I taught the Sannin."

"Hokage-Sama, what are they going to be doing exactly? I understand what Team SIN was for, but what does that mean for them?" Shikaku questioned the village elder once more. The more he heard this plan, the more he didn't like it. Hiruzen contemplated for a moment, turning his war-torn eyes to Shikaku once more.

"I fear… the Will of Fire has diminished greatly in these past years. I wish to use Team SIN to weed out what has been tying this village down. I plan to keep their training under wraps, and very quiet and secretive. They will keep up their own individual facades, as well as working for Konoha under the surface."

Pleased with his answer, the Hokage rested himself slightly, looking questioningly into the two pairs of eyes. He could tell by their slight body movements that they were still contemplating. He was sure of their answer, but waited patiently anyway.

"You believe this to be for the best?"

The Hokage just nodded, and Shikaku seemed to accept it. Michi nodded her head as well.

"Good. How long until they will be ready for the exam?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Dear Jiraiya,_

_I know you have received this message, so please don't act like you haven't. I know you too well, my old student. I know you stay busy with your spy network, as well as your research, but I believe Konoha needs you right now. I understand your feelings about this place, but it concerns your Godson as well. I keep my faith in you as always, but I believe it is time for a new Team SIN to come into being. I can make this turn in your favor, I promise._

_As always,_

_ -Hiruzen_

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"Huh…"

He had to admit, this proposition seemed a tad bit crazy, even for the old monkey. A man with long white hair and red streaks going down his face sat under a tree quietly. He was sporting a few more bumps than normal, and it wasn't the first time he had been removed from a hot spring via violence. (It also certainly wouldn't be the last.) Yet, he hadn't thought a small howler-monkey would have popped out of nowhere, alerting the whole town to his presence.

His teacher had had some crazy ideas, and he had to say, this might turn out interesting.

Pulling out a pen, he began to write.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**And, End Scene!**

**I hope you all understood why the Sannin received their individual names. Orochimaru has Gluttony for his need for more power and knowledge, never believing he has enough. Tsunade and Jiraiya are kinda obvious, though.**

**See you next time!**


	3. Introductions

**Hey there, new chapter like I promised. Also, thanks to those who read, followed and reviewed! I really appreciate it ^^**

**To Guest, Newbiegod35, and Lovely,  
Thanks :D**

**To zeynel,  
I know, right? I've barely ever seen this team composition, and I'm glad someone finds it as interesting as I do.**

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DISCLAIMER

I have no rights to Naruto, sadly. I hope you enjoy anyway ^^

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TEMA SIN, Ch. 3

2 weeks later, and the city of Konoha looked to be the same. Or, at least, Hinata thought so. She could point out subtle differences, such as that it was a tad bit warmer outside, or the leaves and flowers changing, but that was really all.

Well, aside from the break in her schedule.

She was a quiet girl, and so she didn't question her mother. But what on earth was the Hyuuga matriarch thinking? Hinata hadn't the slightest idea why she was taking the Genin exam. Sure, many prodigies graduated early, but she was definitely not one of them. No, according to most, she was just a failure.

Yet, here she was, following her mother diligently through the streets of Konoha, towards what looked to be the Hokage tower. It was the connected to the academy (a building she had never even set foot in), and she vaguely wondered _why_ she wouldn't be taking the exam in there.

Why was she taking it at all?

She had simply been told to put on her sparing clothing and to come with her mother out of the compound. Maybe they were training, she had thought, but the moment they had blended with the crowd her mother had told her what she would be doing.

It seemed luck was just not on her side today.

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For the most part, the exam had been easy. A simple written test on the founding and politics of Konoha, some ciphering and decoding, and a bit of math and geography had made up the first exam. Her kunai and shuriken skills were passable, but the Hyuuga clan wasn't one for Kenjutsu. The ninjutsu portion had been a piece of cake as well, but the taijutsu had scared her the most.

The Hyuuga were known for being masters at taijutsu, teaching their children the Gentle Fist as soon as they were able to walk. And yet, she had never been good at it, or even passable. The stances felt wrong to her, too stiff and blocky. After she was deemed unfit for the style, the elders refused to teach her. After that, all her training was supervised by her mother.

Yet, Hinata had been lead to a practice ring somewhere deep within the building by a kind Chuunin. After that, she had been told to do her best. She had almost scoffed. Her best wasn't much, but she did as she was told. Landing a hit had been no easy task, but it was passable work. As long as she scored high on the other exams, she would be fine.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So, Jiji, what is this about? Aren't I a little young to be a Genin?" A day later, a small blond boy sat fidgeting in one of the Hokage office chairs. A new hiate had been tied to his forehead with pride, the blue material obvious against his bright hair. Opposed to his civilian clothes, he now wore a long sleeve navy blue shirt with a spiral design on the left shoulder, as well as normal grade Shinobi pants with a kunai holster on the right leg.

"Naruto-Kun…" This was all the Third had heard from the boy in the last 10 minutes. Sure, he loved the boy like a grandson, but he was quite loud and obnoxious when he wanted to be. It vaguely reminded him of a certain redhead.

"Hokage-Sama, Hyuuga-Sama and Nara-Sama are here, should I send them up?" The secretaries' voice called out blandly from the intercom in the room. While Hiruzen answered her, this worried Naruto. History class had taught him much about the clans of Konoha, and these were two of the most important political figures.

"Whoa, Jiji, am I in trouble? Cause, I swear I didn't do it this time!" The Third just laughed. Sure, some Ninja could be scary, but it really wasn't anything to be afraid of. Yet, to Naruto's surprise, along with the guests were two children.

A tall man with a dark brown ponytail and scars marring his face walked in leisurely, wearing a simple yukata. A boy, almost identical to him followed behind, a face not as blemished as his fathers. A woman he recognized as the one he met a few weeks ago, as well as a younger version of herself followed behind them, the smaller girl blushing slightly. Naruto stood to bow politely, but the man just snorted.

"Don't worry about formalities, kid. We just came to drop your new teammates off."

"Teammates?"

3 voices, albeit one a bit quieter than the males, rang out through the room. The Nara laughed again, waving his way out the door. The Hyuuga followed, giving her daughter a curt nod, before leaving the room herself. Now, all was left were the three new Genin, shifting awkward glances at each other.

"All three of you are talented, quite so to graduate at such an age. I hope you understand that." The Hokage spoke to them all individually, but the pride was evident in his voice. "Now then, you new sensei will be here soon enough. Until then, you have an hour to get acquainted. You are permitted to leave, as long as you are back within your time. Dismissed."

The Third had switched between the caring grandfather and the Shinobi commander in only a few seconds, something that never ceased to amaze Naruto. As they walked out the door, he turned to the two otherwise silent team members.

"So, you guys like ramen?"

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Shikamaru couldn't say he had been suspecting this. He knew he was smart, yeah, but this was totally different. As he quietly stirred his noodles, he observed his new… teammates? He wouldn't call them friends, but they must have been as smart as him if they graduated as early as he did.

The boy, Naruto, he thought, he had seen before. He was quiet in school, and had been a class or two above him. He was kinda small, but seemed to radiate confidence and kindness. His manners, on the other hand, were atrocious. He ate as if the food would be taken away from him at any minute.

Hinata was very different from Naruto. She was quiet, but she seemed to _want_ to speak. She ate her ramen slowly and politely, a gesture most likely drilled into her head by the Hyuuga. An ever present blush seemed to sport her pale cheeks at all moments, and she wore a simple kimono, much like his own. His eyes met lavender for a moment, and he could tell she was doing the exact same thing he was.

"So, my name's Naruto. What about you guys?" The blond boy seemed ready to break the ice between them. He had sat on the end of the row, and turned his head to meet theirs.

"Shikamaru."

"Hinata."

Naruto seemed please with that, eating a few more noodles. "Did you guys know about this? I mean, graduating early? It seemed kinda rushed." He asked the question that had been nagging at the three's minds for the last few days. They chewed on the question a few moments, and it was Hinata who answered him first.

"I…I had no idea. It seemed odd, mainly as I am behind by my clans standards…" The quiet girl trailed off, and Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully. Naruto slurped the rest of the broth in his bowl before jumping off the stand's stool.

"Well, okay then. I guess we should get back to the tower…" Naruto stated awkwardly, the other Genin moving to follow. None of them had noticed another figure walk into the stand, staring at the three appraisingly.

"Nah, you guys'll be fine. I was told I would find you here."

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After Jiraiya had been told the whole story, he decided to give the kids a chance. He was furious of how his godson would be treated, and he agreed with the old man's ideas of having another undercover squad. There were just too many roots and weeds in Konoha for his liking.

Yet, at the same time, his instincts were telling him to leave and never come back. The seven years had still not healed the hole Minato and Kushina had left, and he was told the kid was just like them. But, he had a responsibility. He had drilled this in his head so many times, but that didn't mean he was ready.

He found the kids conversing over ramen. They hadn't gotten far in their conversation, but he could already tell these kids were thinkers. He liked that in a student, and his last six had been great. Prodigies were overrated, after all. He also noted that they were all identical to their parents.

Interrupting them, Jiraiya watched as they turned towards him in shock.

"Nah, you guys'll be fine. I was told I would find you here. Follow me."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

He led the kids to his favorite training ground, perched right next to a stream. It was quite secluded, and he was pleased to see they hadn't gotten tired in the long trek. Here, no one could interrupt them. Gesturing to some logs, he took a seat.

"Um, sir." Naruto piped up, his eyes wide. "You're Jiraiya-Sama, correct? Of the Densetsu no Sannin?"

"So, you kids know of me!" Well, that got his introduction out of the way. He noted that the blond had a sort of here worship thing going on here, and looked to be refraining from squealing. "Well, then, since you guys have known each other for about an hour, how about we introduce ourselves! Little Miss, how about you go first."

Hinata's face heated up at the nickname, and began fiddling with her kimono.

"Ano, my Name is Hinata Hyuuga. I…I wish to become a successful kunoichi like my mother, and make my clan proud…" Here, Jiraiya snorted, startling Hinata.

"Kid, those pompous bastards have some pretty dirty glasses. They obviously can't see talent, even if it staring them in the face."

She turned an even darker red from having been complimented by someone so famous, mumbling under her breath incoherently.

"Alright then, you next pineapple."

Said boy scoffed, it wasn't pineapple shaped on _purpose_… "Hm, well, I'm Shikamaru Nara. I enjoy shogi and helping my mom, and I want to be an average ninja, nothing to fancy. Though, I suppose I already screwed that plan up."

Oh yeah, they're _definitely_ gonna be normal, alright.

"And you, Blondie."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I like ramen and reading, and I want to learn more about my clan. That, and become strong enough to learn about my parents."

Wait. What?

The others had no idea what the boy was talking about, but figured it was rude to reject someone's dream. Jiraiya, on the other hand, was still confused.

"Wait, you know nothing on you clan?" The Sannin was speaking to him directly now, and the boy seemed slightly bashful.

"Well… yeah. Jiji says my parents had a lot of enemies, so I have to be stronger to learn about them. As for my clan, there are no records on them. I looked, but there was nothing…" The boy trailed off, obviously sad from having no connection to his family. With a twinge, Jiraiya remembered what it was like before he got his team. It was lonely, but at least he knew who his family had been.

But then again, the Uzumaki were a huge staple in the history of Konoha, unless it was left out on purpose. If it was, there were going to be some academy workers with a few new bruises.

"Well then, can you all find this place tomorrow?"

The three nodded, putting the sadness of the previous conversation behind them.

"Pack as much as you can without being too uncomfortable. You'll need everything but food, and nothing unnecessary. As of tomorrow, you won't be seeing this place for a while."

Performing a quick shunshin, he found himself at the middle of the village. With a stride in his step, he began to walk. Someone had some explaining to do.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**If anyone wants references for how our favorite new Genin look, let me know and I'll get a picture of them. They don't look all that fancy, though. Also, I know the whole 'Uzumaki left out of the learning process' thing has been done before, but I've always wondered about it. If they were Konoha's close allies, why did no one ever speak of them?**

**Please read, review, faves and follow! Also, if any of you want to check out my other stories, I would be honored. **

**See you next time!**


	4. Training Time

**Hello again! Here is chapter 4, and we get a basic overview of the next couple days. I'm not really going into any serious details about their training yet, cause I need to get things rolling. Hope you all enjoy!**

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DISCLAIMER

I don't own Naruto. If I did, I probably would have dropped out of high school a while back. I'd be loaded!

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TEAM SIN Ch. 4

When Jiraiya arrived at the training ground, all three of his Genin had already arrived. Naruto looked to be in an outfit identical to the one yesterday, but with black shirt instead of yesterdays blue. A small knapsack sat beside him, probably filled with the little possessions the boy owned.

The other two were in clothes much better suited for traveling purposes. Hinata had her hiate tied around her neck, and a black, kimono like shirt. The wavy material floated around her arms, and was tied at the waist with a dark violet obi. Along with her Shinobi grade tan capris, and a knapsack of her own. Shikamaru had a dark brown jacket that appeared to be made of deer hide, much like the jacket his father wore. The sleeves came to his elbows, and underneath was a long sleeve forest green shirt and black shorts. Like the others, he had a bag as well.

As well as the three ready Genin, their cover stories had been put into place as well. If anyone asked, Shikamaru was to have gone on a trip with his father. Hinata's was much the same, except with her mother and Hanabi (both who used this as an excuse to get away from the compound for a while). It wasn't uncommon for Shikaku to wander off, so no one would look twice about him dragging his son. As for the Hyuuga matriarch, no one questioned her. If anyone ever bothered to ask about the lacking of pranks in the village for a couple months, the Hokage would just tell them he had gone too far and had been forbidden from them for a while.

"Alright kiddies" Jiraiya drawled, looking over the three approvingly, "Time to put up a henge. No one is supposed to know we're leaving, so pick something nondescript.

The three nodded, transforming into a range of new faces. Shikamaru looked like a basic Nara, but was lacking the ponytail, wearing a short buzz cut instead. Hinata looked to be an 11 year old girl, with a light tan and shoulder length brown hair. Along with the others, Naruto looked to be the same age he normally was, but was instead a small girl with pale orange hair.

Jiraiya dawned his as well, and looked to be a civilian man, short brown hair and a simple civilian kimono. Walking out of the training ground, the three children followed him like ducklings. They blended into the crowd quite easily, and his three students gazed at the town one last time. They had already bid ther loved ones goodbye, and took one final look at their homes.

"Come on" The now civilian 'Shiiro' called behind him, checking to see if the kids were still there. "We've got places to be."

And with that, the gates of Konoha were left behind them.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After the group had travelled a good distance from the village, the disguises were off and they settled for a break.

"Now then."

Jiraiya pulled out a sealing scroll of his own pack, pulling out three worn and ragged textbooks. The covers were browning, and the pages had begun to turn a manila yellow. On the front was the fancy script 'Academy Textbook, Year 1'. He handed each student a book, and watched as they handled the tomes as if they were to break at any moment.

"This was a copy of the textbook your parents probably had. It's a whole lot different from what you all got, and I'm sure you'll find it much more interesting than the academy crap you all were fed."

The three of them began to flip through the book pages, and he watched his blond student's eyes widen with recognition.

"Th…the Uzushio pact? This… was _my_ family?"

Naruto immediately began to read, almost as if the text was sacred. Then again, for a boy who had never seen his family, it probably was. The smallest connection made the biggest difference sometimes.

Yet, Jiraiya hadn't expected to be tackled by the boy, a gruff hug around the midsection. He heard the boy mutter a quick thank you, before returning to his reading. His other two students had smiled for a moment, before returning to theirs as well.

His smile had really made the books worth the trouble.

_*Flashback*_

_After leaving his students, Jiraiya decided to make a quick pit stop at the academy. He really didn't know all that much about the exams and curriculum themselves, and it would be best to start there. The hokage was a few buildings away, and would plan to see him afterwards._

_The Building was quite large, and he had personally never been in it. The academy had been quite new when he was a child, and had only recently been established. It had been remodeled several times since then, having been destroyed from various attacks and casualties. _

_He poked his head in a couple classrooms, finally finding one that wasn't overrun with children. A fairly nondescript Chuunin sat scribbling in his desk, only raising his head when Jiraiya gave the door a few harsh knocks._

"_Jiraiya-Sama! Um, what can I do for you?"_

_The Chuunin squeaked, his back straightening in his chair, obviously believing it to be an honor to be talking to a Sannin. Jiraiya just grunted, staring the man over._

"_Could you hand me a copy of the curriculum here?"_

_The Chuunin looked confused, but obeyed none the less. He rifled through his desk for a moment, pulling a few pieces of paper out and handing them to the sage._

_Jiraiya nodded in appreciation, picking up one of the textbooks off the desk and taking it as well. _

_He began to flip through the pages, resisting the urge to throw the book. This was pathetic! The book looked like it had been made for five year olds, not up and coming Shinobi. The battles had been seriously watered down, and it was so biased it made his head spin. Sure, he loved Konoha, but he knew they didn't win all the time. Every village had their faults, and this was no exception._

_Opting to wall climb up the tower instead of the stairs, he propped the window of his sensei's office open._

"_Jiraiya…" The older man drawled, lifting his weary hands to rub his temples. _

"_Did you like your Genin?"_

_Said student nodded, climbing into the window and taking a seat in one of the chairs._

"_Have you seen this sensei? This is crap."_

_Handing the Hokage the textbook and paper, he watched him flip through it leisurely. Then slam his head against the desk._

"_It seems the civilian council has been busy, hm. I will fix this anything else, Jiraiya?"_

_He could tell how tired the old man was of this job. It had really taken a toll on him, and he had seemed to age more in these past 7 years than in the past 20._

"_Yeah… we got any old textbooks around?"_

_Hiruzen stared thoughtfully for a moment, waving Jiraiya off._

"_Check the archives. Chances are, we'll have some. And Jiraiya?"_

_The sage had already started to leave, but turned around once more._

"_Keep them safe."_

_It was all that was needed._

_*Flashback End*_

"Now then!"

Jiraiya clapped his hands together, momentarily gaining his student's attentions.

"You three are alright, but nowhere near where you need to be. Today is onna be traveling, and you're gonna need to be done with that textbook by the end of the day. If not, you'll have to read on your own time."

They all nodded, soaking in their sensei's words.

"As of tomorrow, you all are gonna be working to the bone. By then end of these months, you'll be walking back into Konoha Chuunin."

"Sir…" Hinata spoke up, her soft voice carrying over the gentle breeze.

"Are…you sure we can do this? We've just became Genin. It takes most a year or two to become Chuunin, and that by field promotion!"

The others seemed to share her worries, but Jiraiya waved them off.

"Nah, you guys have got me don't you? I'll be the best teacher you've ever seen. Trust me on this, okay?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

By the end of the day, the four had made it to Hot Water Country. Jiraiya had insisted that it would be an excellent starting point, and had booked them a hotel. Hinata had blushed slightly at the notion of having to share a room with three males, but they now dawned their civilian disguises. Then again, she supposed she would have to get used to it.

Jiraiya had given them some money for dinner, and had rushed off, something about having been away from his research too long.

Her other teammates had been conversing about random topics, and she contributed every now and then. She liked her team very much, and they seemed to enjoy her as well. But how long was that going to last? The council had thrown her away, how did he know that they wouldn't do it too?

"Hinata? Hiiiinaaataaaa"

She hadn't noticed her blond teammate waving her hand in her face, and she felt her face heat up. She muttered an apology, but he just smiled.

"It's all good. Do you have any preferences for diner?"

She thought for a moment, but shook her head. Naruto just snorted, and looked into the large town. Pointing to a random restaurant, he took off. With heavy sighs, the two teammates followed after him. Banishing her depressing thoughts for now, she followed quickly. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After a quick dinner of yakisoba, the trio walked leisurely back to their room with full bellies. It was past nightfall now, but the town was still lit with the lights from the numerous night vendors. Despite the late night threats, the Genin had no doubts they couldn't take care of a few unruly civilians.

"Oi, Naruto."

Shikamaru piped up, looking at his henged teammate. The blond, still in bliss from his earlier meal, just gave a quick grunt.

"Why do you like Jiraiya-sensei so much? I understand her gave you that book, but what's so special about him, other than being a Sannin?"

Naruto thought for a minute, staring off into the busy streets.

"Well, I dunno. I mean, he has to be amazing to have taught the 4th. That, and he's gonna be teaching us! We could be as good as he is. Think how amazing that's gonna be! He's got to be one of the best teachers ever!"

Stars could be seen in the boy's eyes, but he stopped in the middle of the road.

"W…what is Jiraiya-Sensei doing?"

They had stopped in front of the Hot springs, and some giggling could be heard from the side of the building. Quickly, the trio ducked behind a wall, their mouths wide open.

"He's…."

"A…"

"PERVERT?"

The three whispered harshly. Their sensei was hiding behind the wooden walls, giggling madly. He had one eye pressed against the wood, and would occasionally scratch a few notes in his notebook.

Naruto looked aghast, and his female teammate was blushing madly. Shikamaru was trying not to laugh at the fact that his teammate's vision had been shattered.

"Oh hell no…" the blonde muttered harshly, "It's on!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Jiraiya had returned to the hotel room, he was quite content. The girls here were fabulous, and he was sure he would have some great ideas his publisher would love.

As he stepped through the door, he felt nothing out of the ordinary. His kids were already asleep, good thing too. Tomorrow would be hell for them.

As he moved to his own spot, he felt something catch his foot, and something fall onto his head. It was wet, and was… green? A banner now hung on the wall, saying 'Welcome Back Ero-Sennin!'.

"…Ero-Sennin? You kids are getting hell tomorrow!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Like he promised, the training was quite hard. The first morning, he had taken the three out to the woods outside the small village they were staying in. He had still been a bit cranky, and had been looking forward to _training_ the kids.

The first thing he did was assess their strengths and weaknesses. He had seen their promotion tests, and knew what they were and were not good at. Shikamaru's strongpoint was his brainpower and his clan jutsu, but was lacking on the strength and power department. Hinata was great at taijutsu (no surprise there) as long as she used the style her mother taught her. Though, she was a bit shy and lacking completely in the other styles of ninja arts. Lastly, Naruto was great at traps and stealth, as well as his chakra reserves. Yet, his control was terrible, and needed brushing up on everything else.

With that in mind, Jiraiya set a schedule for the three. They were up at 5, and out at their selected training area 10 minutes later. They worked on warm ups for an hour, and then they did laps around the forest. For the rest of the day, they worked on each of the branches of ninja arts. He tweaked and worked on their taijutsu stances, prepped them for using weapons, hammered chakra control into their minds, and practiced simple but effective ninjutsu, all while making sure they had learned the textbook by heart.

At the end of two weeks, Jiraiya changed it up a bit.

"Alright kiddies, pack your things, we're out of here!"

They did as they were told (They had learned not to question his odd motives) and were out of the hotel by 6:00 am.

As they hit the road, Jiraiya suddenly changed directions, pulling a scroll out of his pocket.

"Looks like you all got your first C-rank. You all ready for this?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Alrighty, I'll see if I can get faster updates or longer chapters, but I think this length is good. Feel free to ask for any clarification, and see you all next time!**


	5. C Rank: Sin Style

**Thank you soooooo much for the reviews! You guys are so nice! = w=  
To everyone asking about Tsunade, don't worry; I've got plans for her. She'll be showing up sooner or later. Sooner, if I say so myself.  
It also amuses me on the speculation on the masks. Most of the speculations were quite close, but I'll give you all some hints. Their masks will reflect their canon personalities, which will in this case be their metaphorical masks. **

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DISCLAIMER

I'm sorry, I still don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would have gotten a bit more to his personality. But I can fix that :D

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

TEAM SIN Ch. 5

The details of the mission had been quite straightforward, as Jiraiya had picked something easy for their first adventure of their Shinobi duties. Sure, it wasn't exactly fun, but C-Ranks such as this one were what kept the village afloat.

A rich Nobleman had asked for protection on his way to a poker competition in a large village, somewhere on the south-east coast, and it seemed he was a very valuable player. Not uncommonly, he had enlisted protection from Konoha, fearing rebuttal from the other hostile competitors. He was a tall man, his delicate teal kimono floating as he walked. Otherwise, he was very nondescript. He wasn't old, and looked to be in his late 20's. His chestnut hair had been pulled into a tight braid down his back, and his face was unmarked and blank.

The nobleman, known as Kizoku Gyanburu, had been quite skeptical of his guards. Which was fair enough, speaking that said guards were just as skeptical, if not more. It was unheard of for a Genin team to have taken a C-Rank so early, especially since they had not even done a D yet.

They had met their client on the border of the Land of Fire in one of the many residential villages. Having left their temporary training ground earlier that morning, Team Jiraiya had arrived in the client's village before noon. Their passenger had proved to be an antisocial man, opting instead to play with a deck of cards. For the most part, it suited everyone just fine.

Except Naruto.

He was bored out of his mind, and had long read through the textbook and whatever else he had on his person, some even numerous times. A while back he had taken to counting the numerous types of animals he had seen, but squirrels and birds could only keep one entertained for so long.

Yet, he decided against speaking to his teammates. While he had learned a great deal about them in the past weeks, they were both as silent as he was. He had learned that Hinata, though kind, was very soft spoken. She would speak if she needed to, but otherwise preferred to watch. Her lavender eyes would dart around every so often, most likely using the Byuakugan to keep tabs on what he could not.

Shikamaru was also off in his won world, and seemed to be taking glances at the client. The only one that didn't seem to feel any sort on unrest was their teacher. Jiraiya seemed so distracted with his writing and giggling, and none of his students really had the heart to tell him he was started to creep out the client.

"Jiraiya-Sensei, don't you think we should stop for lunch? No need to wear out the client…"

It seemed Shikamaru was right. The sun was high in the sky, and it looked to be around 1 in the afternoon. Sighing, the sage begrudgingly put away his notepad, and agreed with his student.

In no time, they had situated themselves on the side of the road under a leafy tree, giving them plenty of vegetation to cover from the March sun. Despite the fact that many other countries would be freezing at this time of year, the countries surrounding Fire Country tended to be hot at any given point in time. This just happened to be one of those days.

As they had gotten into a habit, it was Hinata's day to cook. She had instructed Naruto to find a stream for fish, and deployed Shikamaru for some firewood, all in her meager voice. Once they had returned, she set up camp, and got to work on lunch. Along with the fish would be some dried fruit they had received earlier in the week, all while her blond teammate grumbled about a distinct lack of ramen.

All the while, the client sat somewhat bemusedly, watching the children that couldn't be older than eight march around like soldiers. In a way, it was disturbing. Though he was young, he certainly wouldn't ever want to send his child to fight a man's war.

"You don't approve either?"

Kizoku hadn't noticed the team's sensei resting in the tree branches behind him, but the broad man had been sitting in the foliage the entire time.

"I normally wouldn't either, but these kids aren't normal. That, and for some of them, their lives back at home are more of a hell than this life is."

And yet, the nobleman wasn't sure if he could believe him. The three children were smiling over their lunch eagerly, playing around and laughing. And yet, as soon as the meal was over, they would be Shinobi again.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Gyanburu-San, do you think anyone is going to be coming after you?"

The taller boy with the pineapple hair, Shikamaru he believed, asked him. It wasn't prying or rude, it was just inquiry. The boy seemed to be wise past his years, quite mature. Then again, he supposed they wouldn't have whiners or crybabies doing important jobs for the populace.

"Well…" The normally stoic man decided eventually, "Not really. But you never know. Some of these competitors can get quite serious about these games. It wouldn't surprise me, but I doubt they would attack a ninja."

Seemingly pleased with that answer, the boy went back to his silent march.

"How good are you at it? I mean, you gotta be really good to be in a championship, right?"

This time, it was the blond asking questions. For the first time that day, the noble laughed. If there was anything that got him talking, it was poker.

"Well, sure. I mean, poker has a lot to do with luck, but you really need to-"

He was cut off by a sharp push in his side from the taller boy, sending them both sprawling into the grass. A sword clanked into the tree behind them, narrowly missing the client's head. Their sensei was nowhere to be found, and the three Genin automatically formed a barrier around the Kizoku.

"What? Are you kidding me? A big grown man and all he's got is a couple of shrimps to watch him?"

The sword's owner had come to retrieve his belongings. At the edge of the road was what looked to be some bandits. The leader was a tall man, wearing a simple open buttoned brown shirt with nothing underneath it. His head was covered in a simple black bandanna, and his skin was marked with various scars. Behind him was a group of 10 or so, wearing smirks similar to their leader's.

"Hinata, you stay back this time, okay? Protect the client."

Shikamaru whispered harshly to his female teammate, and while scared, she gave her best nod. With a glance to Naruto, he moved.

"Oh look. The baby ninja think they can hurt us. I think we need to teach these kids a lesson, right boys?"

The group behind the leader resulted in cheers, but was cut short as a yellow blur raced by them. Before they could move, their leader had been sent backwards into a tree, 3 kunai impaled in his left shoulder. Then, they dropped like flies.

Shikamaru sent a quick barrage of shuriken into the crowd, ducking quickly under a sword slash from one of the men. A swift kick in the temple of another, and the numbers were dwindling down. He could see Naruto doing much the same as he was, finishing the bandits as quickly as possible. They were brawlers, not fighters. It was quite easy for the both of them.

Hinata, unlike her teammates, stood stock still, watching the group. She felt a surge of pride as her teammates quickly cut down the bandits, and noticed that the client was watching with badly covered awe. With a pang, Hinata realized that she wanted to be next to the boys, fighting like they were. She would have never believed to have wanted to do that. There was always next time, she supposed.

The leader grunted, pulling the kunai out of his shoulder, muttering under his breath. Looking at the girl, he saw an opportunity and took it. He rushed at her, and Hinata could see he was easily better than his cronies. He may not have had any sort of pattern or fighting style, but numerous bar fights had to count for something. Yet, her style was made for flexibleness. She narrowly ducked under his kicks and punches, delivering a quick kunai to the back of the calf. It wasn't much, but it slowed him down a bit.

Yet, the battle was cut short as the lead bandit went flying into a tree, a shoe mark impaled on the left side of his jaw, obviously to large for one of the Genin to have done it. Jiraiya looked down appreciatively at his female charge. The others had finished with the cronies, and their leader gave Hinata a pat on the head.

"Well, looks like I have nothing to worry about."

He stated a bemused look on his face. And he was right; his team had taken care of things just fine. A few minutes later and the group were tied up, and a toad had been sent to Konoha to send a team to retrieve the fallen.

"Now then, let's get moving, shall we?"

Though he didn't say it, all three children could tell he was proud of them. Meanwhile, the client hadn't moved from his flabbergasted position on the dirt floor. HE remained unmoving for a second, before picking himself up shakily. Still not quite there, he tripped, sending his face smashing into a tree root. Well, there went things going smoothly.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I can't participate like this. Think of my reputation!"

"Kizoku-San, I'm not quite sure what else we can do right now…"

Kizoku's words had been slightly slurred, and difficult to make out. After colliding is face with a tree branch, his nose had been smashed in, and slightly disfigured. Jiraiya really wasn't sure what he could do on the matter, as he didn't have any sort of medical talent that had been his teammates field. They had gotten to the town just fine after that, but now the client was reluctant to play.

As the two men argued, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Hinata sat in silence, occasionally taking a sip of tea. Their sensei was in charge, and therefore didn't have much input. That, and the mission was technically over. They didn't have to do anything else, and could leave if they wish.

"_Please_. I can even make it a new mission. I'll pay, I promise. But you have to do something!"

"Could one of us fill in for you? In the tournament, I mean. A henge could solve that problem."

For the first time, Shikamaru added his input. Jiraiya had been thinking something along the same lines, and the client sent them a thankful look.

"That'll work. Please."

Jiraiya snorted, looking back at his Genin. "Well, you all came up with this. Who's going to play Kizoku?"

Oh. Shikamaru had figured that Jiraiya would take the fall and play the part, but maybe not. He didn't know how to play, and he doubted that Hinata could take the pressure. So that left…

"Oi, why do we have to do it? Wouldn't you be better suited, sensei?"

"And? You all need practice going undercover. I've had years of ninja work, and you all are beginners."

"We don't know how to play, sensei." Shikamaru's voice was strained, and he could see the client's disfigured face falling by the second.

"Well… I know how. I mean, the general rules, at least."

4 heads turned to Naruto, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "We got bored at the orphanage. The older kids taught us all kinds of stuff. I was always pretty good at it, I guess…"

"Thank Kami. You won't regret this, I promise."

Naruto had a feeling he would.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The next day, the group rose bright and early, as Kizoku began to run things by Naruto. He taught him the right mannerisms, and the basics of how to play to make sure the boy remembered. A henge later and Naruto was perfect copy, blank (unblemished) face and all.

Kizoku decided to stay at the Hotel, as the group decided that the less people that saw the real poker-champion, the better. Jiraiya had also made a few clones, one to watch Kizoku, and one to henge as Naruto. With that, they set out to the competition.

The client had been right when he said how important this would be for him, and it looked like half of Fire Country had come to watch. 'Kizoku' was followed in by his guards, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But, as they stepped into the playing hall, Jiraiya's face turned to dismay.

"Oh Kami, why did _she_ have to be here… Why didn't I look up to make sure?! This is right up her alley!"

He whispered fiercely, beating himself up on the inside. Following his line of eyesight, the saw two women and… a pig? The one in the chair was talking haughtily to the other, her blonde ponytails and large bust swaying as she talked. The other was a brunette, looking anxiously at the other.

"Se-sensei, isn't that…"

Hinata asked quietly, and said sensei just gulped.

"Yes, my teammate. The legendary sucker, better known as Tsunade of the Sannin."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**All right, the woman you all have been asking for. Kinda funny, cause I originally had no plan on what to do for their first C rank. And then, you all were asking about Tsunade, and wa-la, an idea was formed! **

**Thanks again for all reviews, faves, and follows. You guys are amazing. See you all next week!**


	6. The Princess and the Perv

**I'm soooooooooooo sorry about how late this is. It was not supposed to be this late, but this weekend was extremely busy. It's also kinda short, but I needed a springboard for the important part.**

**To all that have reviewed, I would give you a cookie, but I don't have a teleporter yet. Thank you though, really! I appreciate it so much.**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

DISCLAIMER

Really? _Really?_ I need to repeat this?

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

TEAM SIN Ch. 6

"Jiraiya? What on earth are you doing here, you perv?"

It was well known through the Elemental Nations that Tsunade Senju was known to most as the Legendary Sucker. It wasn't that she was bad at cards, oh no. It was much worse than that. The woman seemed to have a knack for losing, whether it was her money or her loved ones. Most of the time, she felt as if the world was playing some cruel joke on her.

Years ago, she had had enough of Konoha. First had been her little brother Nawaki, then her lover Dan. The mere thought of them made her want to throw the necklace as far as she could, but no. She refused to burden someone else with the curse.

After that, she packed up her things and left, a heartbroken Shizune in tow. A few years after that, she dared to venture into the Village Hidden in the Leaves once more. Her ecstatic teammate introduced her to his student Minato, and learned he was dating her little cousin. The Uzumaki family tree was complicated, but she still remembered Kushina. From what she remembered, some of Mito Baa-Chan's children moved back to Uzushio to continue her line, instead of their father's. Kushina was still a direct descendant, but honestly just didn't care. She was more Uzumaki than Senju anyhow.

After that, she fell in love with Konoha all over again, and was just as pleased when she learned they would be having a baby. But, things never turned out how they were supposed to. She left again, leaving behind the even more crumpled memories of the people she had grown to love. This time, the Third didn't try to stop her as she walked out; he wanted to do much the same.

Now, her days were reserved to various forms of gambling. It didn't matter what; she just wanted something to drown herself in. For the most part, it worked. And so, when she was invited to one of the biggest poker competitions in the Fire Country, who was she to refuse? All the biggest names would be there, and she could tell it was going to be an excellent game. Yet, she hadn't expected to run into her teammate.

It had been 7 years since she last saw him, as he walked out of Konoha, much like she did. Somehow, the old monkey had gotten him to take on a new Genin team. A Nara, an unmarked Hyuuga, and what she believed to be Minato's child. To have graduated this early, they must have been something special.

She could never be drunk enough to not recognize the blond hair and blue eyes, though. He had gotten Kushina's face, but everything else belonged to Minato. Sometimes, she wondered if the villagers of Konoha were that stupid not to realize it.

"Ah, Hime! I'm so glad you asked!"

He gestured to the children behind him, each giving a bow to the Sannin.

"Um, H-Hyuuga Hinata, miss."

"Hmph, Nara Shikamaru."

"Uzumaki Naruto, -ttebayo!"

Tsunade had been right; it was indeed fact that this was Minato's spawn. Yet, his behavior and fox-like grin screamed Kushina. She was sure that the Leaf was _thrilled_ to have another one of those.

"Hmph. The old monkey actually got you to take another team? Whatever. As long as you don't meddle with my game, we'll all get along _just_ fine."

Jiraiya nodded at her, and he and his team moved behind another of the players, Kizoku. He was one of the best, and yet… something seemed off. Oh well, no need to dwell on it now. She had a game to lose.

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By the end of the game, 'Kizoku' was quite certain he should have a hole in his head. He really wasn't sure how this had been his fault! Poker was a game of luck, and he just happened to win today.

By a lot.

The game had been ended with a Royal Flush on his part, and really hadn't lasted that long in the first place. He was pretty sure the Lady Sannin had her laser vision burrowing into his head the whole game, but had simply stormed out the building as soon as the game was over, pig and brunette in tow. After that, he had been steered out of the poker hall after that by Jiraiya and the Genin, dodging camera crews and eager fans. Yet, he really had no idea how something like poker was so interesting. Sure, it was an okay card game, but _really_.

As the returned to the hotel room, the real Kizoku anxiously answered the door. Naruto released the henge, giving the terrified poker player a quick grin.

"That really wasn't that hard. You guys made poker seem so difficult!"

Kizoku gave a happy sigh, falling backwards onto one of the room's beds.

"Dear Kami, you thought it was easy! Well, at least you saved my career…"

"Alright, alright. Now then, I believe we have some payment plans to work out, Kizoku-San. This mission-"

Jiraiya was cut off by a sharp knock on the door. Shikamaru moved to open it, but whoever was there seemingly decided he wasn't fast enough. The door hinges snapped, and the piece of wood went flying into the hall, narrowly missing Hinata's head. In the doorway was Tsunade, seemingly have lost Shizune along the way. Jiraiya slowly raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Uh, Hime? Don't you think that was a little-"

"Hell no! I want to know just how this _punk_ here won!"

She had already made her way across the room, passing the shocked Shikamaru and 'eep'-ing Hinata. A well-manicured hand grabbed the front of Kizoku's kimono, lifting the gangly man into the air. She seemed about to say something, but stopped upon looking at his broken nose. Years of no medical practice had reduced her skills, yes, but she was known as the best for a reason.

"How the hell did you play today!? This damage suggests you broke it yesterday! Unless you got some help here from these idiots…"

Kizoku had been reduced to a stuttering mess that would have made Hinata look like a scholar, and Jiraiya looked slightly terrified. It had been a couple years since he had seen the bust woman, and he really wasn't all too eager to get hit again.

"Oi! We aren't idiots, lady!"

Tsunade dropped the poker player, and for the first time, turned her attention over to the Genin. The blond one was the one who had yelled at her, and his blue eyes were glaring angrily. The girl and the other boy were behind him, both looking equally ticked off. Yet, the latter two had the decency to look slightly terrified.

"Really? So, you were broken-face's replacement, huh kid? You've got some nerve messing with a game of mine."

The statement didn't seem to faze the kid in the slightest. Instead, his grin grew wider.

"Really? Because I'm sure I could win any time, Granny."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Tsunade's honey eye's had been replaced with sparks of fire, and she looked ready to kill something. Jiraiya really hoped it wouldn't be him.

"Would you like to repeat that, Gaki? I didn't quite catch that."

"So you're deaf too? I knew she was old!"

"That's it!"

She grabbed Naruto by his hair, yanking his blond locks. He whined as she dragged him out of the hotel room, and out into the street. The others followed behind them.

"You're not going to help him, Sensei?"

Hinata looked worried, glancing from Sannin to Sannin. He just snorted, looking at his blond student with pity.

"Sorry, but your teammate dug his own grave."

Tsunade had finally let him go, sending him sprawling into the dirt and dust.

"You want to try fighting a so called 'Granny', Gaki? Because that can be arranged!"

With a snarl, Naruto attacked first. He ran at her, fist cocked back, but she dodged it with practiced ease. A bit of chakra in her fingers, and she sent the kid fling through the street. Yet, the 'Naruto' just poofed away, and she soon found herself dodging a volley of kicks and punches. The kid was quite good, she decided, but she wasn't a Sannin for nothing. At this point, she was just playing with him.

A couple more clones had disappeared, leaving a few to attack. Though, she hadn't believed the real one to be among them. Grabbing for an arm, she was surprised for her sharp nails to dig into flesh, leaving a rake of blood trails down his arm. He hissed, dispelling the clones and clenching his injured arm.

"Oi, Hime!"

She stared in shock at her own hand, feeling herself go into shock. The blood under her fingernails was just a small amount, but it was still there. And it terrified her.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

"Geez, can you get more troublesome?"

The Gaki's teammates had surrounded him, but he just waved them off, saying it was only a scratch. Her own teammate was next to her, watching with the same amount of concern. He had been watching the fight, and therefore knew she hadn't meant to do that.

"He'll be fine, don't worry, okay?"

Jiraiya spoke with untainted kindness, snapping herself out of the blood-induced daze. Tsunade shot him a thankful glare, before walking to the kids

"Gaki, you'll have to be more careful."

Kneeling down, she quickly coated her hand in medical chakra. She had to look away, but soon the scratches were gone. She noticed the amazed look on the girl's face, and her brain raced with a plan.

"You know…" She began, looking Naruto square in the eye, "You still cheated on that poker game."

The seven-year-olds face soured, and a pout formed on it.

"Tell you what though, kid. Wanna make a bet?" Jiraiya groaned in the background, but Naruto's face brightened.

"What? Sure thing, I can so win this!"

Oh, she was _so_ getting that prize money.

"Alright then. I want that prize money" The blonde protested in the background, "And you want to keep it. Seems we have a problem. But, I also want to train this girly."

She pointed a polished finger at Hinata, making the girl squeak.

"She has potential. If she can meet my standards in a week, the prize money is yours. If not, I get the money."

"U-um, I don't-"

"Heck yeah! You're on, Lady!"

Oh yeah, that money was gonna be hers in no time. Poor little Hinata was thinking much along the same lines.

_What has he gotten me into!?_

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**See you all next week! Thank you for all reviews, faves, and follows. You guys are my best friends. :D**


	7. The Pride of Hinata Hyuuga

**I am sooooo sorry. I went to Disney World (Only an 8 hour ride…) this past weekend, and my whole schedule was screwy because of it. But, here's chapter 7!**

**Also, I hit 40 reviews and 100 follows! Ah, I freaked out. Thank you for all the encouragement, you guys rock!**

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DISCALAIMER

Nope, still don't own. I did get a Coca-Cola glass this weekend though :D

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TEAM SIN Ch. 7

After a couple days of prodding and encouraging from her teammates, Hinata felt a little bit better about the current predicament. Sure, she was still terrified at the aspect that the success of the mission would be resting on her shoulders, but she felt a bit better anyhow. When she first asked Naruto why he had agreed to such a ridiculous challenge, he answered with such a simple, honest answer.

"_You can do it, I know you can. You're my teammate, after all."_

Shikamaru had backed her up as well, and she found herself filled with something she had never really felt before.

Pride.

She knew that most Hyuuga had stores of the stuff running through their veins, but she never had. She had always been the meek one. Even now, the pride wasn't for her. She was proud to have been placed upon a team with such amazing people. She just had to refrain from letting them down.

Despite the fact that she would be under the tutelage of a medical legend for a week, Jiraiya-Sensei had given them no time to slack off. While he was a Grade A pervert, he was also a slave driver. The man was relentless, but she supposed it was with good reason. The Sannin had trained the 4th, after all, and had attracted the attention of the Third as a child. She had even heard her mother say he could be Hokage if he wished. His students would reflect him, and therefore had to be the very best.

The day before, she had managed to squeeze some information out of Shizune about what they would be learning, but the brunette could only say so much. Medical Jutsu was a very practical art, not made for textbook teachings. A verbal explanation had only done her so much. Her reluctance this morning certainly wasn't helping either, as her nerves had kept her up into the early hours of the morning, only for her to be woken again at the sounds of the chirping birds. Neither of the boys was up yet, but she was thankful. That way they wouldn't have to see her so worried.

As Hinata pulled on her training clothes, millions of thoughts ran through her mind. She had been listening to Shizune speak about how the Sannin had always wanted to train a Hyuuga, as their spectacular chakra control was known throughout Konoha. But, it had been followed by a snide comment about arrogant bastards and something else that she didn't quite catch. As long as she could make a good impression on the woman, she should have a sliver of a chance.

Once prepared for the morning, she left the boys were they lay, and moved out to the training ground that had been set up earlier in the week. Jiraiya, using a few quick Doton jutsu, had leveled an area appropriate for training. It was a little ways off from the gambling village, as they didn't want to cause a bother. Their sensei had even put up a few chakra suppression seals to ward off any curious (or potentially dangerous) passerby.

Hinata didn't mind the walk, and by the looks of things, she was the first one in the clearing. Taking a few more hesitant steps into the clearing, she sighed. But, her heightened senses kicked into gear. Quickly, she flew backwards, springing off of her hands and back onto solid ground. A quick mutter and the Byuakugan was active, readily prepared for whatever was coming.

Yet, all she heard was laughter. Looking narrowly, she saw that a cluster of senbon had struck a tree behind were she had just been standing. It wouldn't have hurt her too badly, and might have struck a vein or two. Yet, there was no telling what the elongated needles had been laced with.

"Alright, you've got pretty good reflexes." Hinata recognized the cheerful voice of Shizune, and watched as the brunette dropped from her concealment in the tall foliage. She was dressed in the same style kimono she normally wore, but it was tied a bit tighter than normal. That, and TonTon was nowhere in sight.

"Wait, you're training me Shizune-Senpai? I mean, not that I don't want you too! I mean…" Said woman nodded, before slinging a small bag off of her back. "Yup. Lady Tsunade isn't as specialized in the fields we'll be working in."

Shizune opened the bag, and Hinata was a bit relieved to see that it contained only scrolls. She spread them out on the ground, and the blunette scanned them briefly. The largest scroll went into detail on the beginnings of being a medic, as well as the 4 clauses all Medic Nin were sworn to follow.

_First Clause:"No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end."_

_Second Clause:"No medic ninja shall ever stand on the front lines."_

_Third Clause: "No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon."_

_Fourth Clause: "Only those medic ninja who have mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the ninja art Creation Rebirth are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws."_

"So… I will have to live by this?" Hinata wasn't sure she really agreed, but asked her temporary sensei anyway.

Sheepishly, Shizune rubbed the back of her neck. "Ah, no. You see, you will be learning the basics of Medical Ninjutsu, and eventually the rest of you wish. Tsunade believes you'd be better at the stuff I deal with." Hinata paused for a moment, staring at the older woman. "Which would be?"

The grin on Shizune's face almost made her regret she ever asked.

"Poisons."

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At the end of the day, Hinata stumbled back into the hotel room with her arms loaded with books. Some on plants, some on animals, and some with words that Naruto wasn't quite sure how to pronounce. As she had left that morning before they arose (Jiraiya permitted them to sleep in for once, most likely due to his massive hangover from the night before), he didn't know how she looked when she had left the house. But, to put it simply, she currently looked like a mess.

Her hair was slightly frizzed up, and had lost its sheen. Her kimono sleeves looked to have obtained the same treatment, but they looked as if something had eaten away the ends. She almost toppled over from the large amount of books, and Naruto rushed forward just in time to keep her from falling over. She muttered quick thanks, before flopping into the nearest chair.

As Shikamaru came to relieve his teammate of his newly acquired book duties, they glanced at the lone female. They had never seen her so distressed and disheveled; even after Jiraiya's torture, she had still managed to retain her elegance. Now, it seemed that girl was gone.

"Um, Hinata?" Shikamaru asked warily, knowing full well that women could be loose cannons when the wrong words were spoken. "Are you okay?"

The girl shook her head into the pillow she was currently smothering herself in. Naruto felt a pain of regret knowing he was responsible for this, but he had felt she could do it! It had only been 3 weeks, but his teammates had become irreplaceable to him.

"Want anything to eat? There's still some dinner…" Though, it really wasn't much. The boys didn't have cooking skills like hers, and could only pass of as edible for now. Yet, she simply shook her head, and stood up, stumbling into the shower. This was going to be a long week.

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The next morning, Hinata was once again forced to haul herself out of bed. She had known that she would only have a week to learn, but Shizune had been even more relentless than her perverted sensei.

They had started off the morning just looking through the plant books and field diaries, having her memorize the best and worst for poison making. Hinata had never known just how intricate it was, and how much could go wrong if you messed up. Too much rhubarb would kill, and too little narcissus and the job wouldn't be done. Sprinkle in some various venoms and oils, and you had to be quite careful. Her clumsiness had caused her sleeves to be eaten away, and she had almost caused burns on her hands. Her Senpai was handling it all with practiced ease, swishing vials and crushing plants like a pro. Along with all of this came learning the cures, something that Shizune admitted to have taken years to learn. It was nice to know how to poison someone, but if you didn't know how to heal a teammate, you were no help.

After that, Shizune decided the need to test them out. Hinata was forced to watch as goldfish and rats were submitted to different doses and portions of toxins and such, before they eventually died. Sure, they were common animals, often killed though various forms of ends, but she had never seen it so close. Yet, at the same time, she was glad it wasn't being used on her.

After the lovely demonstrations, Shizune presented her with a plan. When Tsunade and she had lived in Konoha, they had stumbled across an idea. It was well known how the Juuken worked, as the powerful chakra strikes blocked all access to one's chakra passages, as well as causing an increasing numbness. Throw in a quick jab of poison, and a Hyuuga could be quite deadly. Even if they were to miss their intended target, the poison would seep into the bloodstream, and could technically kill the target in minutes, or hours. A simple scuffle could leave an opponent dead.

Hinata had to admit, it was an ingenious idea. Her mother had taught her all about flowers growing up, and it had become a pastime for the two Hyuuga females. According o what her teacher said, the clan rejected the idea, believing it to deviate to far from traditions. Yet, that wasn't fazing Hinata; she was already the black sheep. Shizune had given her some loaded senbon, and the rest of the day had been reserved for practice.

Her small stature did wonders for her, as many underestimated her for it. That and no one suspect a seven year old to be behind a murder. Realizing what she had just thought, the small girl shuddered. Sooner or later, she would be forced to kill someone. With poisons, there wouldn't be too much blood and gore. Hopefully, it would be a long time before she would have someone's blood on her hands.

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By the end of the week, Tsunade was quiet curious to see how the little Hyuuga was progressing. She had spent the past couple days with Jiraiya and his remaining Genin, both who were mirror images of their parents. She had managed to squeeze a few (a lot) more games of poker out of the kids, which she lost every time. She really didn't mind all that much; the blond kid had the devil's luck.

On Saturday morning, the group moved out to the pre-made training ring. Even Kizoku had come along do make sure his money would be safe. For once, Tsunade was kinda hoping she would lose. She probably would, but hey. If that girl met up to her standards, she would be stuck training her for a couple months, maybe even give the other two some training on the side. As long as she didn't have to deal with any blood, she had no problem borrowing money from Jiraiya and his traveling troupe. Shizune and Hinata were already there, and the smaller girl was sweating bullets.

"Alright, girly." Stepping into the ring, Tsunade put on her best grin. "Think you can do this?"

Hinata's lavender eyes glanced to her encouraging teammates, grinning and giving her thumbs-ups. With a shaky nod, she stepped into the ring.

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**Pretty good place to end, eh? I hope I gave a somewhat accurate description of the Juuken, and I really hope no one has had the idea for adding poison to the Juuken strikes, but I believe it's a pretty good (and original?)idea. That and I've never seen it before.**

**See you all next time!**


	8. Konoha Recap

**Woo! Not too late, is it? Sorry, I've had to work on schoolwork lately, and I have a huge test tomorrow. So instead of studying, I decided to write another chapter! I'm not worrying too much, though, it's only Algebra. And my worst subject. Eh, whatever.**

**Also, I hit 50 reviews! *does victory dance* I thank you all from the bottom of my heart; you make this teenager so happy. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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DISCLAIMER- I wish. Trust me, I wish.

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TEAM SIN 7

Hinata made the first move, jumping away from Tsunade and pulling a pill out of the pouch on her right leg. She swallowed it, flinching slightly from the bitter taste, before dodging a barrage of kunai the Sannin had thrown. The older woman knew vaguely what Shizune and the Genin had been training on, as she had had the original idea. Yet, she didn't know what had been in that pill. It would be best to keep the girl from executing whatever she had planned. She would be holding back against the girl of course, but she could at least intimidate her.

The lavender eyed girl pulled some senbon from her sleeves, waiting for the familiar numbing sensation to spread through her bloodstream. Using her chakra, she located the poison, before separating it from her blood, pushing it into her chakra pathways instead. If she concentrated it to her fingers at the correct time, it could be sent through to opponents own pathways with a Juken strike. The trickiest part would be to make sure that she herself took the antidote in time so that she didn't suffer the effects. Once she had gotten familiar with the poisons, she could build up her immunities towards them. Hinata had been amazed as Shizune explained this to her, seeing the amount of work and thinking had been needed to come up with something like this.

She was beginning to lose the feeling in her fingers, and knew she was going to have to hit the Sannin soon. Hinata raced through strategies in her head, dodging another volley of kunai, one of them clipping her shoulder. They had been blunted, and only stung a bit, but it gave the girl an idea.

Tsunade watched as the girl charged at her, wearing a scowl as she did so. She had thought the girl was smarter than that, but maybe not. Hinata's movements were beginning to get reckless, and the Sannin sent one more round of kunai, which the Genin dodged effortlessly. Tsunade hadn't noticed that she had been pushed to where the first two volleys of kunai had hit, and made sure to not step on them. She could probable use one of them to her advantage, but when she looked back up, Hinata was gone. Tsunade felt a sharp pain in her left calf, before jumping back, the girl behind her. Thoughts ran through her head, wondering just how the girl had gotten behind her.

Then it hit her: She had sent out 3 kunai each round, yet hadn't realized there had been 10 imbedded in the trees. She saw Shizune and Jiraiya smirk, both having figured out what the girl had done. She had to admit, it was quiet creative. So far, the girl was passing with flying colors. Yet, she still didn't know what poison the girl had used. Due to the girl's movements becoming more sluggish with each strike, she was guessing some sort of paralyzer.

Hinata pushed another pill in her mouth, glad she was doing so, as it was almost impossible to move her left arm. It would take a few minutes for the poison to begin affecting the Sannin, minutes she didn't have. Her chakra was nearly gone, as she had wasted it on the shadow clone that had been used to maneuver the older woman towards the kunai. Hinata could spend a few minutes dodging Tsunade, but her forms would be sloppy, and would end up getting hit more often than not. She still had to wait for her arm to lose its numbness as well. With a heavy sigh, and a bow of her head, she made up her mind.

"I-I, forfeit." Tsunade nodded appreciatively, understanding the girl's actions. She had noticed all the things Hinata had been thinking about as well, and respected the girl's knowledge of her own limits. Yet, she could also see the girl beating herself up about it, something the Sannin had no doubt was the influence of the Hyuuga household.

"Whaaaa?! Hina, you had this in the bag! You were doing great!" Naruto whined, pouting from the sidelines. Shikamaru simply chuckled, and the Toad Sannin bopped the blond boy on the head.

"You did good girl. I expect more from you." Tsunade enjoyed the shock on her face, watching as a blush spread and Hinata ducked her head. "Shizune, looks like we have a new student for the next five months. Shame, I wanted that money too."

Kizoku sighed happily, pleased that his money would be staying his. After everything that had happened on this trip, it could have ended so much worse, he decided. The two boys were cheering for their teammate, and the girl was still madly blushing. Sure, he hadn't expected this when he hired a squad of ninjas, but he couldn't complain. At least they got the job done.

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Back in Konoha, Hiashi Hyuuga was furiously scribbling over his paperwork, not really paying attention to the words on the pages. It had been a month since his wife and daughters had left, and five till their return. All Michi had told him was that she had been given a long term mission, one that had required a trained ninja to go undercover. Hanabi and Hinata thought they were simply going on vacation, and would help with her mission. He was somewhat glad they had gone, as both Hyuuga had sensed the unrest between the elders. He missed them greatly, but didn't show that fact. He had an image to uphold, after all.

"Hiashi, we need to talk." Not many had the audacity to call him by his first name, let alone simply walk into his office. The only ones he had ever tolerated doing it was Michi and his twin, but one was gone at the moment, as the other was 6 feet under. Glancing up momentarily, he gave the elder standing in his doorway the best glare, before returning to his work. "You have reasons for disturbing me, I presume?" Hiashi asked dryly, not really caring what the man had to say.

"Hiashi, once your newest daughter returns with her mother" He said the word with such poison, Hiashi almost growled, "The rest of the elders and I have decided that we will take over her training completely." That sent his eyes jerking to the elder, a fire in them that only showed when it came to protecting his family.

"Excuse me? You have no right-"He was cut off by the elder, who was equally as angry as he was. "We have every right and you know it, Hiashi. We need a suitable Hyuuga head, and your firstborn is clearly lacking in every department. We gave you and Michi a chance, and it didn't work. We will not allow you to destroy another suitable heir-"

"GET OUT!" The Hyuuga head roared, Byuakugan blaring at the older man. He never realized he had stood up, nor when he had clenched his fists. The elder simply stood his ground, before stalking out of the room in a haughty air. Still stunned, Hiashi slowly sat down, before placing his head in his hands. Everything was falling apart, first his brother, than Neji, and now the three most important women in his life were in danger as well.

_I'm so sorry, Michi. I don't think I can do this…_

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"I'm sorry Cho-Kun, I really don't know when Shika is gonna be back. But I'll let you know right away, alright? You know how super secret ninja missions are." Yoshino Nara placed a finger to her lips, before waving at Chouji goodbye. She hated lying to the sweet little boy, but she was sworn to tell no one what was really going on, not even her friends. Heck, she wasn't sure the clan heads even knew, so she supposed her position was a privilege. But really, she was one of the town's best gossipers, behind Mebuki Haruno; it just wasn't fair!

She was going to be bored for the next 5 months, though. Her household was empty, just her and the deer, and Shikaku had to disappear for a few months to make the cover story believable. Yes, he was quiet troublesome, but he was still her husband. She could only go shopping and do housework for so long, after all.

Yoshino would be lying if she said she wasn't proud of her boy; she really was, but she couldn't stop worrying. A team such as this hadn't been established since the Sannin, and no one this young had graduated in years. Konoha wanted the death rate of younger ninja to go down, so they gave them a few more years of training (as well as a few more years to still be kids). And yet, with Shikaku's predictions, her little Shika would be Jonin level by the time most kids left the academy.

Since she had finished cleaning the kitchen for the ump-tenth time that week, she figured she would go visit Mikoto. She hadn't gotten good Uchiha gossip in a while, and it was always nice to be informed.

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"I can't believe this, this is gonna be great!" The next day, Jiraiya could be seen dancing in a circle, pleased with his ex-teammate's decision.

"You just wanna look at her boobs, pervert." Naruto whispered harshly, causing the Toad Sannin to shake his head.

"Nu-uh! I'm a SUPER-"He was cut off by a quick chop to the head, courtesy of Tsunade. The older woman was now standing behind him, Shizune and TonTon in tow. She had been ready for a while now, but it had taken a bit of persuading for her apprentice to get her away from the gambling town. Tsunade glanced down at Hinata for a moment, before giving her one of her most intimidating grins. It was just so hilarious to watch kids now-a-days squirm.

"Where to next Jiraiya-Sensei?" Shikamaru finally asked, causing everyone else to groan, realizing they hadn't even known that beforehand. Sheepishly, the Toad Sage rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully, seemingly debating with himself.

"Well, we've got 5 more months, and we wasted more time than I had expected here." He said thoughtfully, weighing his options. There really wasn't anywhere they had to go besides Mount Myoboku, and they wouldn't need to go there until their third month. "Alright then!" He decided, clasping his hands together. "We'll head to Waterfall for now, and hit Land of Rivers on the way back."

Shrugging, Tsunade began to follow the overly excited man, watching as he turned around, a grin on his face that scared the three Genin. "I almost forgot!" Reaching into his bag, he pulled out three more books, much larger than the first ones. He handed them out, each student grimacing from the weight of the tomes. "Have it finished by the end of the week, alrighty?"

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"You mind telling me just exactly what's going on here?" By the end of the day, they were almost out of Land of Tea, and the two Sannin were both enjoying a cup of Sake. Neither was tired, and if she was willing to stay along for the ride, he figured he would have to tell her at some point.

And so he did. She calmly listened to everything, about how it was just a favor for sensei at first, to him starting to enjoy it. She listened about the problems with the Hyuuga, the mistreatment of Naruto, and the poor Nara stuck in the middle. She had to say, it hadn't been what she had expected, and yet, here they were. By the time Jiraiya was done, she was no longer interested in the Sake, having stopped drinking it a while ago.

"So they condemned the next set, huh? And they don't even know it." Tsunade mused, suddenly getting the feeling she wasn't drunk enough for this. Jiraiya simply shrugged, still staring into his own cup.

"They're still kids, Hime. I wish they could be for a bit more, but… you know how Konoha is. How it really is. I really think they can change it, though. They've certainly got the skills." And he really believed that. He didn't doubt them, not after having trained them for a month. As long as he didn't lose one of them, because of he did, he wouldn't forgive himself. Not being able to see Naruto's Cheshire grin, or hearing Hinata's tinkling laugh, or laughing at Shikamaru's odd sense of humor.

No, he wouldn't lose one of them; not a second time.

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**Alright, I know Hiashi is portrayed in many ways, but this is my opinion. I really think he always had his daughter's best interests at mind, despite everything. He loves them both, but with his upbringing as the Hyuuga heir, his own views have been twisted. Michi is there to help bend them back into place. I can't wait to give him more development :D**

**See you all next week! Thank you for all reviews, faves, and watches. You guys continue to be amazing!**


	9. Pep Talks

TEAM SIN CH 9

**Hey… yes, this is super late. Like, really,**_** really**_** late. I know, I'm so ashamed.**

**But, I kinda have an excuse! My school year is finally over, after a week of exams. Plus, chorus and other after school activities for me still meet, so I have to work around those. That and I have classes over the summer. But, I passed my first year of high school! **

**Anyway, to the chapter!**

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DISCLAIMER

Still No.

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"Jiraiya-Sensei, do you even know where you're going?" Shikamaru asked dryly, finally fed up with the antics of their sensei. They had been traveling for a couple days, and the rest of their traveling companions were just as fed up as he was. Also, the Genin was pretty sure he had seen that rock two or three times before, but who's counting?

"Of course I do, do you really have that little faith in me, my cute little student?" The Sannin replied shakily, chuckling at his team's antics. But, in reality, they were right. He had gotten lost a long time ago, but figured it was best to not say anything. Tsunade put her face in her hands, growling at her ex-teammate.

"I swear to God, Jiraiya. If I see that notched tree one more time…" Instead of getting frightened at Tsunade's threat like he normally would, the Toad Sannin's face lit up.

"Notched Tree? Where?!" Hesitantly, the woman pointed it out, watching as Jiraiya ran towards it. The others watched in slight confusion, the Genin deciding on the fact that their sensei had finally cracked. And yet, they watched as the older man put one hand on the trunk, the bark falling away and revealing a door underneath. Triumphantly, he looked back to his students.

"I'm not a spymaster for nothing, kids!"

And so, the group found themselves walking through some sort of underground passage. It was spacious, but damp and poorly lit. Jiraiya led the way, a torch in one hand, leading them to who knows where. Not even Tsunade seemed to have taken this route before, but kept quiet all the same. After what seemed like forever, they came across another door. Jiraiya smashed his torch against the wall to kill the flame, before opening the door and walking inside.

Before them was a room made of eight walls, each having another door upon it. The Toad Sage picked one of them, and instead of another tunnel, it lead into a house. It was small, but nicely furnished, having the standard rooms all houses had. It had four bedrooms, the kitchen, bathrooms, and a training room. Tsunade's eyes lit up with recognition.

"This was one of Sensei's safe houses! I thought he closed them up years ago…" Jiraiya simply nodded.

"Yeah, we'll be staying here for a bit before going to Waterfall. Hime, if you and Shizune could tackle lunch, I wanna teach these guys something." All three of them brightened at the prospect of being taught something. It wasn't that Jiraiya didn't teach them, but it was mostly repetition at this point. The three followed Jiraiya to the back of the house to where the training room was located. It was a large room, built with much sturdier walls and floors that the rest of the houses. Many of the panels on the back walls came out, revealing shelves and boxes, filled with who knows what.

Jiraiya quickly flashed through a set of hand seals, finally muttering a quick 'Kuchiyose no Jutsu'. White clouds filled the room, and in front of them now sat a toad. It was a deep orange color, with blue patterns stretching across its massive form. The toad easily took up a large portion of the room, and held a scroll in its tongue. Jiraiya was now sitting on top of it, but jumped off, taking the scroll from the summon.

"This, "he said, gesturing to the creature, "Is Gama. As you all know, I am known as the Toad Sage. This is due to the fact I made a contract with the Toads." Taking the large scroll, he unraveled it, showing the names to the Genin. "When a new summoner is written in, they are given a partner. Gama here was mine, and is one of my best companions. I can rely on him for everything.

Gama let out what the children believed to be a chuckle, croaking in agreement to Jiraiya. "He can't speak, but that's no problem. We've always gotten along fine. Today, I want to teach you all how to summon." Jiraiya once again gestured to the scroll, pointing out his own name. "The main reason behind this is so I can keep in touch with you. I won't always be your teacher, and there is always a chance something could happen. Along the line, you may find a summoning contract you like better, but for now, you all will learn to use these guys."

Now, Jiraiya knew it would take a long time for them to learn the technique, but he wanted to get them started as early as possible. They wouldn't get their own partner till he took them to Mount Myoboku, but they still had another month for that. Once they became Chuunin and Jonin, they would start to take missions on their own. Sadly, they wouldn't be staying Genin for long.

"What do we do, Jiraiya-Sensei?" Shikamaru finally asked. Grinning, the Sannin set the scroll down.

"First, you'll need to write your name on this scroll in blood, along with your handprint. Along with your chakra, you will have to contribute a small amount of blood as well. Biting your finger should be enough. After that, the seals are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, and then Ram. Naruto, you try first."

The Sannin couldn't really say who he thought would master the jutsu first. Naruto had the reserves for it, but Hinata and Shikamaru had much better control. But, their reserves were tiny. For now, all they would get was tadpoles.

After the blond had finished, Shikamaru wrote his name as well, followed by Hinata. Nodding in satisfaction, Jiraiya resealed the scroll, handing it back to Gama. "Alright, practice the hand signs, and I'll be back in a little bit."

He left the room, listening contentedly to Naruto's mutters. When he got back to the main part of the house, Shizune was standing over a pot of something, but Tsunade was nowhere to be found. Having a good idea where she had wandered off to, Jiraiya poked his head into one of the bedrooms.

The bedroom she had wandered into had been Orochimaru's. While many considered him to be a horrible man, Jiraiya and Tsunade had never been able to. Sure, they despised their teammate for what he had done, but he was still their teammate. The memories or everything they had done together would always be there, whether it was simply eating lunch, or battling the greatest of foes.

The Slug Sannin stood, Anbu mask in hand, and regretful expression on her face. The mask itself was chipped and worn, but the kanji for 'Sin', painted in a deep purple, still stood out clear as day.

"Can you believe that it was 30 years ago? We picked up these masks when we were 15 years old, Jiraiya…" Tsunade trailed off, wistful expression still on her face.

"Yeah. 45 is kinda old, huh Hime?" The Toad Sannin joked, trying to lighten her mood. Normally, she would jump to defend her age, but he knew how she was when she was like this. The old Orochimaru, the one that had been their friend, was long dead. For her, he was just another name on a list of those she had lost.

"How old do you think they'll be when they get their mask?" Tsunade finally asked, having gotten sick of dwelling in the old memories. Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully for a moment, planning things out in his head.

"I'd have to say 13. They should be Chuunin at 8 and Jonin at 12, if my planning goes right. I know that they're going to have to stay undercover like we did, so it's going to be hard to train them while they keep up their covers. But, four years should give me time. After that, they'll have to keep up their masks on a Genin team, as well an Anbu practice. No one said it would ever be easy."

Tsunade nodded, a sick look on her face. "Maybe after this, there won't be a need for another Team Sin. I hope not, at least. Two poisoned generations is enough, I think."

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"What kind of Toad do you want, Hinata?" Naruto asked curiously over his stew, taking a slurp every once in a while. The Genin figured the adults had wandered off to talk about some sort of serious adult stuff, so they had taken a break to eat their lunch.

"W-well, I hope I get one that is kind. They don't have to be strong…" She finally decided, eating her own meal in a much more dignified manner. "What do you want, S-Shikamaru?"

"One that is smart, I guess. I don't want one that is stupid." The brunette's face soured at the idea, causing his teammates to giggle.

"That would be nice. I think it's awesome we get our own summon! We're gonna be the coolest, don't you think?" Naruto had stars in his eyes, images of samurai toads dancing through his head.

"Maybe. What kind of team do you think we're gonna be?" Shikamaru asked, receiving blank looks form both teammates. Sighing, he continued. "I don't think we'll be a Frontal Attack Team, or a Tracking Team. It seems like we're all meant for something else."

"Exactly, Shikamaru!" None of them had seen their sensei come back, bowl of stew in hand. He sat at the table alongside them, adding his own two cents. "But that's why I'm training you all. We already know Hinata's place on your team, which leaves just the boys. She is our poisons expert, having medical knowledge if needed." He paused, taking a big sip of his lunch. "Now, I plan to teach you both entirely different subjects. It's the other reason we'll be going to Waterfall. Naruto" He pointed at the blond boy, his face lighting up. "Will be learning how to use seals and traps. Shikamaru, on the other hand, will be learning Genjutsu."

Naruto seemed absolutely overjoyed at the prospect of learning fuinjutsu, but Shikamaru looked much more confused. "Sensei, why Genjutsu?"

Jiraiya chewed over his thoughts for a moment, deciding on how to word his next sentence. "Your team, as much as I hate to admit it, is being trained as an Assassination Team." The Genin looked at him in shock, his answer obviously not what they had been expecting. "Hinata has poisons; Naruto will be trained in fuinjutsu and traps. Genjutsu are an extremely helpful for distracting people just long enough to kill them."

Each Genin looked slightly sickened at the fact. And yet, it made sense, in a rational sense. Shikamaru knew his reserves were perfect for the job, as well as his lax personality. He was never the fighting type anyway.

Hinata, on the other hand, was stating into her stew in dismay. She knew she would have to kill people, but it had seemed like mere fairytales told to children so that they would behave. Naruto looked downtrodden as well. Sure, he wanted to be Hokage, but he had never really thought of how much it would take. The agenda of a ninja always seemed to be fighting the bad guys and becoming a hero. Never was it taught just how many dead bodies the ninja would have to leave in its wake.

"I'm not saying this is going to be easy, not on any terms." Jiraiya finally spoke again, feeling the Genin had been given adequate time to think. "But we don't kill for fun. Sometimes it's for money, yes, but often it's for the sake of others. That is what I believe the Will of Fire really is; putting others in front of ourselves. I can honestly say, despite it hasn't even been 2 months, I would risk my life to save anyone in this house right now."

Finished with his meal, Jiraiya rose from the table, empty bowl in hand. "When you're done, meet me back in the training room. We have work to do."

"You think they'll stick with this? After what they just told them?" Tsunade, who had been just close enough to hear what he said, questioned. Jiraiya simply nodded, causing Tsunade to snort. "You're not very original, you know. That's what the Old Monkey said to us all those years ago."

"And we're still here, aren't we?" Jiraiya countered, Tsunade shrugging.

Back in the dining room, the three Genin still sat in silence. None felt too happy with what their skill would be going towards.

"Look, we can do this, can't we?" Naruto finally spoke, conviction in his eyes. "Every other ninja has, we can't be cowards now!" Slowly, Hinata and Shikamaru nodded as well. If they turned back now, they wouldn't be able to face a ninja ever again.

"W-we're doing this for the greater good, r-right?" Hinata asked, her male teammates nodding in agreement.

"Then we'll do it. As a team." Shikamaru finished, placing his hand in the middle of the table. Soon, it was covered by Naruto's, Hinata's overlapping theirs.

"As a team."

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**You all should get semi-normal updates from now on, or at least until summer is over. Thank you so much for all the support! I appreciate every fave, follow, and review.**

**See you next time!**


	10. Acting like Children

**Thank you again for all of the reviews and stuff! I'd also like to bring up something someone asked.**

**-samurai Naruto, Yes, there will be pairings. **_**Eventually**_**. Like, in 20-30 chapters. Because right now, they're 7. And that's just creepy. There won't even be pairings when they're 12-13! When we get to Shippuden, **_**maybe**_**. This fic isn't for the pairing; the pairings are an afterthought almost. **

**-Also, you all are so curious about the masks! I know you all want to know, but they won't get the mask until they 'graduate' the academy, aka become Jonin/ANBU. Most of you all have it pretty much figured out, though. **

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DISCLAIMER

I don't own Naruto, sorry. I still cry at night over that fact.

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It had taken a few days to snap the Genin out of their funk, but they eventually got back into the hang of things. Jiraiya seemed to double their training regimen, pushing them all much farther than he had at the beginning of the journey. Taijutsu matches were no longer simple spars, and stealth had been burned into their minds with a Katon jutsu, both literally and metaphorically. No longer were they helpless academy graduates, but clearly competent Genin.

Jiraiya had quickly gotten Naruto started on trap making and sealing. In his opinion, the two went hand in hand; even a well trained Jonin could fall for a well-concealed trip wire, setting off a seal, unleashing a volley of kunai to the neck. Traps had come easily to the boy, due to his nasty habit of pranking those who crossed his path the wrong way. Jiraiya simply started him off with reverse engineering all the traps in the house and putting them back together. Naruto's fuinjutsu studies, on the other hand, were not as smooth going. The blond had little to no patience, and could barely tolerate hours of calligraphy practice. Jiraiya was simply thankful Naruto acted tolerable when it came to reading.

Hinata had been practicing under the watchful eyes of Shizune. The two spent hours going over tome after tome of herbs and spices before testing them in the field. Tsunade had decided their original approach to the Juuken was a bit too risky, and had been working towards a safer approach. Jiraiya also helped to pitch in with Hinata's taijutsu; while good, and the best out of all the Genin, she still had room for improvement.

Shikamaru was a much different story. Genjutsu required near perfect chakra control and a sharp mind, something that he thankfully had. While not as well known as the Hyuuga, many of the Nara techniques required good chakra control to be able to sharpen their shadows; Shikamaru was already quite advanced on all the control techniques anyhow. Chakra control was only a part, though; executing the jutsu was a completely different story. After a few weeks of control exercises, Jiraiya decided he was ready to begin the real training.

"Now, I know little to nothing about Genjutsu." Jiraiya began, sitting cross-legged on the training room floor in front of his pupil. "I can dispel them, but that's about it; Genjutsu is one of the most difficult types of jutsu to master, and definitely one of the most deadly." Shikamaru nodded in understanding; it had been a long time since Konoha had had anyone close to being a Genjutsu Master. "So, since I can't teach you, I found someone who can!"

Jiraiya ran through a set of seals faster than Shikamaru thought possible, before wincing at the clouds that enveloped the space in front of them both.

"Jiraiya-boy, long time no summon! Honestly, when was the last time you bothered to visit little old me?" A warm, elderly voice enveloped the room, and Shikamaru was slightly surprised to see a medium-sized toad sitting in front of him. She was currently scolding Jiraiya, leaving Shikamaru to stare on in bewilderment. When Jiraiya had told him he found him a teacher, he wasn't expecting a summon.

"And who is this young 'in, Jiraiya? Is this one of the new summoners I've heard about? He needs some more meat on his bones!" The Toad jumped onto Shikamaru's shoulder, using a green and purple appendage to pull on one cheek. Satisfied, she offered the boy a warm smile. "I'm Shima, young 'in. And who might you be?"

"Nara Shikamaru, ma'am." He finally got out, still a bit surprised. The toad hummed thoughtfully, jumping onto the shoulder of Jiraiya instead.

"I'm one of the toads that live on Mount Myoboku, though you already knew that." Shikamaru simply nodded, before Jiraiya clasped his hands together.

"Shima, I needed to ask you a favor." The toad sage began, looking at the small amphibian. "I need you to train Shika here in Genjutsu." Shima looked mildly surprised, glancing back and forth from teacher to student.

"Jiraiya, why all of a sudden? I understand you have new students, but-"

"Sin." The one word stopped the elderly toad in her tracks, but Shikamaru didn't pick up on the meaning. Shima looked devastated, closing her eyes in concentration for a moment, before staring intently at Jiraiya.

"Fine, but we are having a talk next time you get to the Mountain, boy, Fukasaku and the Elder as well." Shima decided in such a tone, it left no room for discussion on the matter. The older man simply nodded, standing up and stretching slightly.

"Thank you, Shima." Jiraiya said honestly, before giving his student an encouraging wave and leaving the training room. Shikamaru was just left with the elderly toad, shifting slightly.

"Well then, one of the simplest Genjutsu is…"

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When Jiraiya returned to the training room a bit later after a couple hours of calligraphy (he was beginning to think strangling Naruto would be a better option for everyone involved) he could immediately tell something was off. Shikamaru and Shima were nowhere to be found, but he stepped in the room anyhow.

"Jiraiya, it's been forever, hasn't it?" The toad sage stiffened, turning around at the hauntingly familiar voice. Yet, when he turned around, he was absolutely terrified. Orochimaru stood in the doorway, but there was one distinct difference.

The last time he checked, Orochimaru didn't have boobs.

With a girlish scream, Jiraiya ran straight through the illusion. Tsunade turned her head in the direction of the scream, jumping as a sobbing Jiraiya latched onto her arm. "Idiot, what the hell do you want?!" She made out some of the words, but Jiraiya was mostly a sobbing mess.

"Ts-Tsunade-sensei, is he going to b-be okay?" Hinata asked timidly, staring bewilderedly at her sobbing sensei. Naruto had run out of his room to check on the scream as well, before everyone's heads turned to the sound of laughing.

"Well, that was certainly a good laugh, Shika-boy." Shima cackled, still perched on his shoulder. The boy was still giggling slightly, grinning at his sensei.

"What the hell did you two do?" The female Sannin finally got out, staring at the two expectantly. Shima was the first to answer.

"We simply showed him an image of his other teammate as a woman, Tsu-Hime. Also, it's been a while, and you still look as lovely as ever!" Shima said lightly, causing the room's inhabitants to laugh at their sensei. Even Tsunade's lips curved into a small smile, before kicking off her sniffling ex-teammate.

"Now, I assume these are the other two cuties?" Shima jumped from Shikamaru to Hinata, smiling at her gently. "Who might you two be, young ones?"

"H-Hinata Hyuuga."

"And don't forget about Naruto Uzumaki-ttebayo!"

Shima nodded respectively at them both, before patting Shikamaru on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, all right sweetie? Just have Jiraiya summon me, and you'll be good to go; Fukasaku should be expecting dinner about now." With a swish of white clouds, the toad was gone. Jiraiya had stopped crying at least, and was now simply sniffling on the floor. Tsunade simply put her head in her hands, feeling another headache come on.

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By the end of two weeks, Shikamaru had mastered Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique, as well as the Sly Mind Technique and some other basic things. Shima encouraged him to practice on Jiraiya, seeing the man held little to no talent for Genjutsu. None actually hurt him, other than giving him a slightly wounded pride.

It was a particularly nice Monday morning that Team Jiraiya actually left the safe house, venturing into the side door that led to Waterfall. Each Genin had been dressed in civilian clothes for the day, and according to Jiraiya, would be taking a test. None of them had the slightest clue exactly what the test would be on, though. It only took an hour of walking to actually reach the outskirts of the village. Jiraiya had explained the very tight security around the actual village of Waterfall, and the fact that they wouldn't be going in there any time soon. It took special clearance and the right paperwork to get in, neither of which they had. So, they would stick with the calm marshlands of the villages around it.

"Now, none of you know what we're doing today, right?" Jiraiya finally asked, seeing that their group had reached the outskirts of the civilian village. None of the Genin gave him any answers, so he continued. "As your particular team, going undercover will be a huge part of your Ninja lives. You all will need to be able to hide yourselves from civilians, enemy ninja, and allies alike. Today, you will create cover stories, and blend in with the village as well as you can. I have errands to run in there, and you all will meet me at this gate in two hours. I already have clones with henge stationed all around the village to watch your process." Shikamaru raised his hand slightly, Jiraiya nodding at him.

"What are we actually allowed to use?" The Nara questioned, possible solutions running through his head.

The Toad Sage simply grinned. "Nothing but your brains; no chakra, weapons, none of that stuff. But I'll let you know this; don't think about this too hard. Later!" With that, the Sannin was gone with a poof of white smoke, the Genin staring at where he just stood. Naruto huffed impatiently, obviously frustrated.

"Man, this sucks! How on Earth are we supposed to not stand out! How do civilians even act?!" That was something neither of his teammates could answer; after all, they had all been raised as Ninja. Every move they made was thought out and calculated, and those around them carefully watched. It wasn't easy to simply erase years of training. Waterfall had guards stationed all around the village, and inside it; they could tell a ninja when they saw one.

"W-well, we need to blend in, r-right?" Hinata questioned, Shikamaru still in deep thought, and Naruto still frustrated. "Let's g-go to the park!" Her teammates stared at her in bewilderment, causing her to shrink back. "I-I mean, we could play, and b-blend in with the other kids, um.."

"That's actually quite smart, Hinata." Shikamaru blinked, slightly surprised. Naruto still looked ready to pull his hair out.

"Really, that's it!? Man, I thought this was supposed to be hard!" Hinata simply giggled reciting their Sensei's words.

"Jiraiya-Sensei did tell us not to t-think too hard, Naruto-kun." With that, she took off first to the village, Naruto and Shikamaru racing after her.

The atmosphere was much different to that of Konoha; it was much muggier for one, but the people themselves had to have a different feel to them. Konoha seemed very clean and crisp, while the small village outside of Waterfall seemed more rugged. It certainly wasn't in a bad way, it was just different.

No one paid mind to the small group of laughing children as they ran through the streets; the town was large enough for no one to think twice about them. It had only taken a few people to point them in the right direction, and they finally reached the park. Neither Hinata, nor Naruto had ever had the chance to play like normal child before. Shikamaru had been to the park with Chouji before, and found it quite amusing at his teammate's bewilderment. And, while they looked like normal children, each of them was paying careful minds to their surroundings. They had seen one of Jiraiya's clones a ways back, and needed to put on a show.

And then, suddenly, all the children seemed to scatter. The three Genin stopped, watching the other children's fearful glances, all aimed at one little girl. A young teen seemed to be escorting her, and all of Team Jiraiya watched as her face fell. Her mint green hair was covering her eyes, but they watched as the teen kneeled down to her eye level, pointing to the Genin on the swing set. Yet, she simply shook her head, causing the black haired teen to sigh. So, leaving the green-haired girl, he walked to Team Jiraiya instead, kneeling in front of them and offering a hand.

"Hey, kiddos. My name is Shibuki." He pointed a gloved finger at the girl. "And that is Fuu. Do you think you all could play with her?" Hinata and Shikamaru seemed hesitant, seeing how the other children reacted. Yet, all of Naruto's rationality flew out the window. The girl was probably a year or two older than they were, but the blond recognized the look in her eyes too well. He jumped off of his swing, making a beeline towards Fuu.

"Oi, you wanna play on my swing?" Fuu seemed startled at the prospect of someone actually being nice to her, desperately looking back at her guide to see if it was a trick. Shibuki simply shook his head, a grin on his face. Taking Naruto's outstretched hand, she let him lead her to the swing, the other Genin watching in confusion. "You sit on the swing, and push off! And, you gotta hold on, or else you're gonna go flying!" Naruto made a whooshing movement with his hand, and Fuu hesitantly sat on the swing, giving it a few experimental pushes with her feet. In no time, she was flying as high as the other kids were. Shibuki simply watched with a rueful grin, happy that his charge was finally getting a break. None of them noticed as he walked off, all of them too occupied in whatever game they had started.

"S-so, you're gonna be a ninja, Fuu?" Hinata asked slightly, after the children had decided to take a break. They had been playing for a while, and Shibuki had been kind enough to get them some ice cream. The tan girl simply nodded, wiping up some of her spilled desert.

"Yeah! I'm gonna be super awesome, just like Shibuki is! And then everyone in my village is gonna like me, I think…" She trailed off a bit, blowing a bit of air to blow her bangs away from her face. Hinata watched the action for a moment, pulling an orange hair pin from her pocket, and lightly brushed the stray hairs aside. Fuu blushed slightly at the action, watching as the younger girl pinned up the messy strands of green hair.

"I-I always have a few on me." The blunette was slightly blushing, gesturing to a similar white clip in her own hair. "I hope you d-don't mind."Fuu was still in a slight state of shock, before reaching up a hand to check her hair. And then grinned wider than she ever had.

"Oi, it's been two hours. We need to meet Uncle at the gate, guys." Shikamaru stood up, brushing the dirt off of his pants. Naruto let out a groan, and Hinata bowed politely to Shibuki and Fuu. The older girl looked saddened at her friends leaving, pouting slightly as she watched them go.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I can't believe you guys got ice cream without me!"

"I can't believe you're still whining about it, Sensei." Shikamaru scolded him, still annoyed that they had had to wait for him. He argued that he had run into some fans of his book, to which Naruto responded he had none. If anything, it made Jiraiya sulk more.

"Did we do well, Sensei?" Hinata asked, still finishing the last bits of her mint-chocolate. The sage hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"I'd say so. Going to the park was an incredibly intelligent idea, and was the perfect way to blend in. No one really looked twice at a group of children waiting for their 'Uncle' to get done shopping. Though, you all seemed to be having an awful lot of fun." He chuckled at his Genin's sheepish expressions, before switching into teacher mode. "But that wasn't the only objective. Shikamaru, how many clones did I have around the city in total?"

"Six"

"Hinata, name three of them."

"U-um, the old woman with the broom, the blue haired boy in the park, a-and the second shopkeeper we spoke to."

"Good. Naruto, where were the rest?"

"That stupid looking dog that tried stealing my ice cream, that creepy old man who tried giving us candy, and one of the clones was just being a creeper in the trees!" Shikamaru and Hinata held back giggles at Jiraiya's appalled expression.

"Crude, but right nonetheless." Jiraiya finally admitted, ignoring his odd blond student. As they walked back into the damp tunnel in silence, he watched his students sleepily tread on. Each of them was bordering on different levels of tiredness, something that amused the sage. And sickened him.

While the children had been playing, he had been visiting a business associate. The man was one of the best weapon smiths in the elemental countries, and it cost a pretty penny to get him to agree to an assignment. Jiraiya had put in 4 orders to the man, three of which would be Chuunin gifts for his students. The last, on the other hand, was something he would have to stop stalling. At the bottom of his bag sat three plain white masks, the kanji for SIN engraved on each of them. They were similar to ANBU masks, but were for training purposes only. As much as he hated to admit it, his students wouldn't be innocent children for much longer.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**See you all next time! Also, if anyone has any preference on Shikamaru, pairing wise, just let me know and it shall be put into consideration. **

**(Also, if anyone cares about my other two stories, they'll be updated sometime in the next two days. Thanks for being so patient!)**

**Thanks again for all faves, follows, views and reviews. Bye!**


	11. Tadpole Therapy

**Welcome! I intended to have this done a bit earlier, but helping some friends with relationship problems and Boy Scouts (girls CAN join Boy Scouts, little known fact) kinda weighed me down. Now, I figured it was time to take care of a few things. For starters, MASKS.**

**Since so many people have been asking, I'll let the guessing go to a close. Though, most people got them right. I figured they should be pretty obvious.  
Naruto is **_**Wrath**_**  
Hinata is **_**Pride**_**  
Shikamaru is **_**Sloth**_**.**

**Got it? Got it. And don't worry; Envy will come into play as well.**

**Also, Team Sin will be undercover for a while, meaning they will be put onto Teams Seven, Eight, and Ten. And, it will definitely be after Shippuden that they decide to leave ANBU, for reasons not yet disclosed. Hope that clears some things up!**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After Team Jiraiya's interesting day out, their sensei had another mission for them to take care of. It seemed to be quiet easy, a simple bandit camp raid; but, Jiraiya intended to use it as a training exercise, just like everything else. Making your bed? Use just your chakra. Hungry? Catch a deer with only your fingers. Going into town for supplies? Convince someone you're the reincarnation of the Rikudo Sennin.

And so on.

Though, each of the Genin had picked up on the odd vibes coming form everyone in the household. Each of their sensei seemed on edge, like something was about to go wrong. Wisely, no one had commented on it, eating their rice in silence. Shizune offered to do the dishes, leaving just Jiraiya and Tsunade to give the mission details. So, sitting in a circle with the others, the Toad Sage laid out a map, handing each Genin a marker, and keeping a black one for himself.

Taking the cap off, he drew a circle around a clearing, one that was surrounded by a dense forest of trees. The road couldn't have been more than a mile away, but everything else was trees and bushes as far as the eyes could see. "This is a map of the road outside of Kawadoko Town, where we visited yesterday. While I was there, I received information on the whereabouts of a possible bandit camp that had been giving them trouble. I'm sure you saw some of them yesterday." Taking his marker, Jiraiya drew X's at positions along the road. "This is where they are believed to be. We took the road on the opposite side of town, but the bandits tend to bully those coming from this direction. So, trade has gone down. I talked to the head of the village yesterday, and we negotiated the bandits into a C Rank mission."

"I assume we're taking them out, sensei?" Shikamaru asked, uncapping his own writing utensil, one in red.

Jiraiya nodded, pointing towards the clearing again. "Yup. But this time is going to be a little different. I want this job done as stealthily as possible. Tsunade and I will be watching your progress, but we'll be sitting this one out."

Naruto almost squeaked. "Wait, we're going to have to...?"

"Kill them all? Yes, yes you will." Standing up, Jiraiya gave them all stern looks, one that left no room for an argument. "Use this map to plan out a battle plan, and tell me when you're ready to go."

Shikamaru gulped, pushing down the bile in his throat. "Guys, what do you think?" His voice sounded much weaker than he wished, but he shook it off.

"U-um, y-you, um, we could take o-over the positions o-of the stationed gu-guards..." Hinata offered, stuttering much worse than she had in a while. Her voice shook with every word, but she muscled through it.

"Could you put them under a Genjutsu, Shika? Then Hinata and I could...you know. And we could infiltrate the camp as them." Naruto offered, nervous blue eyes dashing between his friends.

"Jiraiya-sensei, do we have a time limit?" Shikamaru offered, causing the Sannin to lift a bushy eyebrow.

"No, why?" Instead of an answer, the Nara turned back to Hinata.

"Do you have any quick-acting poisons, one in a big batch?" The Hyuuga heiress nodded her head.

"Y-yes, but only one that would p-put someone in a deep sl-sleep. Why?"

"Naruto, what kind of seals do you have so far?" The blond looked slightly bashful, rubbing the back of his head.

"I have some explosion tags, and some of the different elements. Ero-Sennin helped me make some Katon and Suiton ones so far."

"Alright then, how about we do this..."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Just like their sensei had described, two bandits could be seen standing near the north entrance of the town. For the last hour, Team Jiraiya had watched as the two bandits bickered. Naruto was pulling on his new mask experimentally, its properties still intriguing him.

Before they set out on their mission, Jiraiya had given them each a new set of mission clothes. Each looked like a variation of the Konoha ANBU uniform, except for the masks. They were a plain white except for the kanji for sin engraved on the front, detailed in deep obsidian. Even though there were no eye holes, they could still see out of them, something that amused Naruto to no end.

"Alright, you think we have enough information?" Shikamaru asked his voice as low as he could get it. Only the barest hint of a nod could be seen from his companions, and he nodded back, running through a familiar set of hand seals.

"Illusion: Hazy Mind Technique." He only barely whispered the name, watching as the two bandits began to stare on in confusion. The Jutsu itself was a fairly simple concept, causing the foe to hear things that really weren't there. Hinata and Naruto took this as their turn to move, running to the other side of the road while the bandit scouts were distracted.

"Oi, Daichi, did you hear that?" The first bandit asked, looking to his friend in confusion. Daichi simply nodded, stiffening when he heard it again.

"Yeah, I do Jin. Who's there!?" Daichi called, cupping his hands around his mouth. Neither got an answer, but the rustling only got louder. "Alright, that's it. Wait here Jin, I'll deal with this."

Jin watched as his friend headed into the underbrush, nervously switching his eyes back and forth between the road and the trees. After a few minutes, Daichi still hadn't returned. "Oi, you in there Daichi?" No answer still. "Daichi?" Hesitantly, the bandit took the same entrance into the foliage Daichi had, pushing the trees aside. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he heard the rustling once more, whipping his head from side to side. The last thing he saw was a flash of white, and then he knew nothing more.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Jin and Daichi returned to the bandit camp sometime later, just in time for dinner to be started. The other bandits gave them waves, hellos, and acknowledging nods as they walked back in. The bandit that appeared to be the leader called them both over, a disgusting grin on his face.

"Good work boys. We got some excellent haul today, I'll be sure you two get first pick!" The bandit gestured to a large pole in the center, where various women had been chained up. Some were knocked out; others looked at Jin and Daichi with pleading eyes. "I expect much of the same tomorrow." With that, both bandits bowed to their leader respectively, Daichi searching the camp. He left Jin, heading towards a stout man leaning over a pot.

"Kima, what are we having tonight?" Daichi called, ignoring the man's glare.

"Never see you so eager, Jin. What's it to you?" Kima growled dangerously, his yellowing teeth glinting from the campfire.

"Nothing, I just wanted to say hello." Kima didn't notice as Daichi clutched the rim of the cauldron, a trail of clear liquid dripping from his hand.

"I swear to God, if this is about that poker game, I'm still calling it a fluke!" With a shrug, Daichi had wandered back over to Jin, tapping him once on the side. No one but them noticed the flash of white that had leapt through the trees, the quick flash of a pure white mask.

Both Jin and Daichi watched as bandit after bandit moved to get their meal, bartering and arguing with Kima as they did so. Many had sake and other alcohol with them as well, those who were already intoxicated stumbling around the camp. And, in the middle of it all, the leader sat, grinning at all of his men, certain that he was safe.

Only Jin and Daichi knew he was wrong, watching as the men around them began to drop like flies. By the time someone knew something was wrong, it was too late, the drug having worked its way through everyone's bloodstreams. Quickly, Jin and Daichi leapt to the middle, undoing all the chains. Many of the women cried in happiness, thanking them profusely before picking a direction and taking off.

A small black and white clad figure jumped from the trees, his expressionless mask nodding once at the two bandits. All three jumped back from the camp, watching the lines of ninja wire and paper tags surrounding the clearing. With a quick hand seal, the clearing was up in flames, the smell of burning flesh wafting into the air. And then, the fire was out, resealed into its tags. The smallest figure whispered an almost silent 'Shika', and Daichi nodded, running through a set of hand seals. All three remaining figures watched as the ground opened up, swallowing the charred aftermath whole and resealing itself, leaving no evidence.

Both Jin and Daichi disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving two figures similar to the first. They were both much smaller, but were identical in terms of outfit and mask. None of them knew what to do at this point, emotionless masks staring at the unblemished earth. And then, they were gone, leaving noting but the blowing wind in their wake.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

A few days later, Jiraiya found himself knocking on the door of Naruto's room, getting no answer in response. He had been repeating this process for the past few days, going about the problem much the same way that his own sensei had. But, the children had only been coming out of their rooms to use the bathroom or eat, and they had been doing vey little of the latter anyhow. Taking the silence as an invitation, he pushed the door open, staring sadly at the crumpled figure on the bed. Blond hair could be seen peeking out from beneath the covers, empty blue eyes staring at the ceiling.

"Naruto?" The Toad Sage called, getting only a sniffling sound in response. "Get dressed, kiddo, and meet me in the main room." Not staying to see if his message had been received or not, he ducked back out of the room, heading to the main room himself. Both Shizune and Tsunade were already waiting there, having delivered similar messages to the other Genin.

One by one, the seven year olds filed into the main room, each looking a bit worse for wear. Both Hinata and Naruto looked to have been crying, and Shikamaru's clothes were crumpled, his eyes vacant. None of the sensei's said a word, Jiraiya running through a set of hand seals familiar now to each Genin. A quick poof of smoke later and a familiar green and purple toad sat in front of them all.

Shima, who had been informed of the situation in advance, eyed each of the children sadly. If there was anything she hated about the life of a Shinobi, it was this. Children should not be forced to kill, no matter the circumstances. Their empty, broken gazes made her want to gather up all of the toads and stomp Konoha into the ground. But, with a quick set of hand seals, the group of seven found themselves in the middle of Mount Myoboku.

Whatever Team Jiraiya had been expecting for the day, this certainly hadn't been it. Beautiful foliage stretched as far as the eye could see, greens, reds, and yellows on every branch and tree. Mountaintops could be seen over the trees, and waterfalls seemed to spill down around every corner. The midday sun was high in the sky, glimmering off of the pools of water. Toad statues, some polished and new, some crumbling and old, seemed to be tucked into the oddest places, grinning at the group as they walked past. The Genin momentarily forgot their sadness, too amazed at the scene in front of them. Shizune was just as amazed, while Tsunade and Jiraiya grinned, having seen the mountain numerous times before.

"Come on dears, the town is just a few hops away." Shima chided lightly, glad that the fog around the group had been lifted. And, the elderly toad was right. The hustle and bustle of the town of toads seemed to be in full swing, all different sizes and colors hopping from cheery shops and houses. Some toads could fit in the palm of one's hand, while others easily towered over everything but the mountains. Even more toad statues littered the walkways, seemingly watching as people walked past. At what looked to be the very center of the town, a large building sat, its rustic red color much different than that of the other buildings.

"Shima, what took you so long?"

"Fukasaku, don't yell; you worry too much!" A small green toad with pure white hair hopped towards them, immediately arguing with the group's guide. "Kids, this is my husband Fukasaku, also known as the worrywart. Pay him no mind; he has work to do anyway." Shima smiled at them all, ignoring her husband's grumbling.

"She is right, old man. Guys, Hime and I have to go with Fukasaku, but we'll be back in a minute. Shima, take them to the room, please?" Jiraiya asked politely, Shima beaming back at him. With that, they split into two, the Genin and Shizune following Shima, and the others following the grumbling Fukasaku into the red building.

"-Of course, I called him silly for ever thinking that, but who knows. I honestly have no idea how he got to that conclusion, but -oh! Here we are!" Shima had been talking animatedly, until they found themselves in front of a small, tan colored hut. It was very round shaped, and many toads could be seen through the door, peering over a large pool. It took up almost all of the room, and was very close to the ground. The arrival of Shima seemed to alert all the others, bowing respectively and leaving. The purple toad hopped onto the rim, beckoning to the Genin. "Come on now, come have a look!"

Hesitantly, the Genin approached the pool, Naruto and Shikamaru's eyes widening, and Hinata let out a small gasp. The pool itself was filed with tadpoles of all colors and ages. They were all too young to talk, but they chirped happily, giving smiles to the group of humans.

"Go on, you can pick them up. They are much like babies of your species, when it comes to taking care of them. The oldest ones have almost no tails, and the youngest are the smaller ones with no legs." Shima informed them. Hinata was the first to move, shaking hands reaching into the clear water. She giggled as the small tadpoles nibbled on her fingers, before picking one up, cooing slightly. Shikamaru settled with petting them, and Naruto followed in a manner similar to his female teammates. Tsunade and Jiraiya soon joined them, watching their charges act happier than they had in a while.

"You like them, guys?" Jiraiya joked, joining them at the pool. They all nodded, before the toad sage turned a bit more somber. "You know, Hiruzen-sensei took us to Sarutobi Jungle when we had our first kill, and introduced us to the baby monkeys there. While they aren't as cute as these guys, it still got the message through." Wiping his hands on his pants, he looked each Genin in the eye. "I know that this job is hard and probably harder than you had ever imagined, but we're doing it for them." Jiraiya pointed at the pool. "For those who can't fight for themselves. Killing never gets easier, but keep what I'm saying now in mind, and you'll be able to do anything. And, I am proud of you. All of us are."

Tears were spilling down each of the Genin's cheeks at their sensei's words. Shikamaru was the first to recover, wiping his eyes. "Y-you know, you give pretty good pep talks for a pervert." The room laughed at Shikamaru's words, Jiraiya shrugging slightly. "But thank you, Jiraiya-sensei, and Tsunade and Shizune-chan too."

"Yeah, you guys rock!"

"T-thank you, very much."

"I'm glad you think so, squirts." Tsunade showed a bit of compassion, smiling slightly. "But, you gonna tell them the other reason we're here, Jiraiya?" The toad sage seemed to light up, turning back to the seven year olds.

"Remember how I told you I had my own summoning partner? You all get to pick one of these tadpoles to be yours." The Genin blinked in shock, looking back at the pool. The tadpoles chirped in excitement, creating a song of toads that echoed throughout the room. "It's why I had Shima take you here, so you can have a look. Just point one out, and they'll be raised along with you. It's what helps the bonds between summon and summoner grow."

Hinata seemed to already have an idea of who she wanted, picking up a royal purple colored tadpole with a navy blue underbelly and hands. A navy blue dot sat in the middle of its forehead, and its black eyes blinked intelligently. "I-I'll take this one, um, I-if that's okay."

"Ah, yes. His name is Mizugama, I believe. An excellent choice, dear." Shima congratulated, Mizugama chirping in excitement. Hinata put him back into the pool, her lavender eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Okay, I want this one!" Naruto had chosen a burnt orange one with black markings. The tadpole seemed to share in his excitement, chirping back with equal enthusiasm.

"Oh, Gamakichi for you then? He'll grow quiet big, being the son of our boss summon." Shima commented, Naruto grinning in excitement. All that was left was Shikamaru, his eyes scanning through the water. Finally, he pointed to a forest green colored tadpole with a white underside, and a white line going across the nose. "And little Gamahana. She's a real sweetheart, and I'm glad you remembered my suggestion. Toads with white markings often have a talent for Genjutsu; something that I'm sure will help you out."

With that, they bid the tadpoles goodbye, Shima escorting them back out. Each of the Genin felt significantly better than they had before, their sensei's words still echoing in their mind. It had already been four months with their sensei, but each of them felt like completely new people. Naruto finally had people to call a family; Hinata found more confidence every day; and Shikamaru felt like he could be himself, not what his clan wanted him to be. Even Tsunade and Shizune felt better, having finally found somewhere to be, rather than wandering around the Fire country. Jiraiya was simply happy he had taken the Hokage up on his offer. If he had known how rewarding it could have been, maybe he would have taken on a Genin team a long time ago.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Alright, for starters, I understand Jiraiya had a Genin team with Minato on it. I am making a **_**slight**_** change to that, having Minato having been an apprentice rather than on a Genin team. We never hear anything about his teammates anyway...**

**Next chapter we have a small time jump to the Chunin exam! Excited? I know I am! **

**Thank you for al of the faves, reviews, follows and views. See you next week!**

**Bye!**


	12. Chunin Exams: Kumo or Bust!

**100.**

**100 reviews, guys.**

**Thank you so much! I really hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'm incredibly grateful for all the positive support I've been getting. 100 is a huge milestone, and I hope you all stick around to see the rest!**

**Anyway, this was written over the process of two days. I wrote the first exam, slept on the second, and woke with an idea for the test. I hope it all sounds believable, along with my interpretation of Kumo. I wish we were given more to work off of, but hey.**

-o-

DISCAIMER

I do not own Naruto, but I _do_ own Kisu! You'll understand in a bit, I promise.

-o-

The Chunin exam was one of the newer Shinobi inventions. After the Second Great War, The Kage and the Daimyo decided that something had to be done to prevent another war. Of course, this plan didn't work in the end, but the exam was still continued due to the attention and revenue it brought the participating villages. By the Third stage of the exam, every country had at least one Genin remaining. If you didn't get promoted by the end, it was more likely you were to get a field promotion. Nothing wrong with that, but people just didn't remember names that way.

Of course, Team Jiraiya very well couldn't have their names remembered. They were supposed to be undercover, and certainly not participating. Their beginner ANBU uniforms would have to be worn for now, and a set of fake names had been administered to each Genin. Each stood as still as they could as they stared up at the gates of Kumo. Hinata had been doing her best to stop shaking, the memories from the kidnapping coming back to her. The Raikage had pleaded that the Hyuuga incident had been an act by a certain clan and not his orders, but this would be the first Kumo exam Konoha Nin had been to in a while. Jiraiya paid no mind to this and leaded them to a hotel room, waving merrily at the other Konoha teams. He was completely certain his team would do fine.

Many, both Kumo citizens and other Konoha Nin, stared at Team Jiraiya in confusion and surprise. None really had the faintest idea who they were, and it seemed it was gonna stay that way. Team Jiraiya was also doing their fair share of gawking, due to the sheer difference between Konoha and Kumo. While the area around Konoha was surrounded by trees, Kumo was literally hidden in the clouds. The mountain it had been built upon was so high the dense fog surrounded every entrance. Even if you did get o the top, the large wall surrounding the city itself would deter you from getting into the village. Jiraiya had said it was one of the city's greatest advantages.

On the day of the exam, Jiraiya walked each of them to the first portion. While Konoha buildings were often designed to be at least a little visually pleasing, Kumo was built with practicality fully in mind. The Academy was a large, slate colored building; a main rectangle portion branched into smaller rooms, and the Toad Sannin pushed them into the steady stream of Genin heading into the main doors. Many gave them odd looks, but Team Jiraiya didn't care. They were here for their promotions, not to hear what the other nations thought of them. Several Kumo Chunin ushered them into the main room, one that looked to be an auditorium. Everyone had been given a number in advance, and Naruto found himself squished between two Kumo Genin. Both were smirking, clearly thinking they had the home court advantage.

Eventually, the man that seemed to be in charge came out, standing in front of them all. He talked in a deep monotone for a few minutes about Kumo rules and regulations, something just about everyone toned out of, including Naruto. By the time he had finished, just about everyone was falling asleep in their chairs. He left through the same doors he came in from, and a few seconds later he returned. Except, two identical copies followed him, standing at attention to the crowd. Everyone looked on in shock, and one of the other Chunin began to speak.

"In front of you is a slip of paper and a pencil; you have 45 minutes to decide which of these copies was the real one. When you have an answer, write it on the slip of paper and raise your hand; one of the Chunin will check your answer. But, be warned: This is a team effort. Your whole team must pass in order to keep going. Good luck to you all and time starts now." With that, silence rang through the room again. Pencils scratched against paper and many hands were raised, but the majority was given a negative. A few passed and were ushered out, while many of the failing teams and their members were pushed opposite.

Naruto was surprised when he saw Hinata's hand rose, but she was given answered correctly and was ushered into the passing room. Shikamaru was soon gone as well, leaving just Naruto and the other Genin. With hard eyes, he looked over each of the copies closely; he certainly should have been paying more attention, but there was no use in crying over spilled milk. As an idea formed in his head, the masked blond raised his hand, ushering one of the Chunin to him. A quick whisper caused the Chunin to stare at him oddly, but his request was accepted none the less.

Each of the copies began to restate the speech that had been originally given in turn, and almost all the Genin stared in surprise. Smirking under his mask, Naruto wrote down his answer quickly, and had it approved by a Chunin just as fast. Good thing, too, as a whole 10 minutes remained on the clock. Jiraiya-sensei was certainly going to have his head later.

-o-

"35 minutes, geez." Jiraiya whispered from the Jonin lounge, watching as his final student proceeded to the next stage. He hadn't been surprised when Hinata and Shikamaru had gotten it quickly, but then again, Naruto had always been the dullest. Not from his intelligence, but he just wasn't a genius like the Nara, or had a bloodline like the Hyuuga heiress.

"Hey, it was a pretty tough test though." Another Konoha Jonin commented, his own Genin having proceeded as well. "Still, it makes me wonder how many are going to figure out that each of those copies is fakes. Asking for them to speak was quite smart." The toad sage had to agree with that, he supposed. Not many of the Jonin had bothered to pay attention to the speech, let alone the Genin.

"Maybe," Another called, "but it's got nothing on good old Ibiki tactics." A few laughs and choruses of 'true' sounded again, but Jiraiya was already out the door. Next up was survival test, and after that the tournament. He wasn't sure what the Kumo equivalent to the Forest of Death was, but it couldn't have been pretty.

-o-

A third of the group was left over after the end of the exam, and many of the Genin were sent out of the room with heads bowed in shame. The lead Chunin had give them all instructions to be back at the Academy building in an hour with packs for traveling, and Jiraiya made their way back to the room quickly. Relieved, Naruto finally took off his mask, smiling at both his teammates. "How did you guys figure that out so quickly? It took me _forever_." He stressed the last word with a whine, causing Hinata to giggle. "I was just lucky their voices were different from the real ones."

"I-I used my Byakugan, Naruto-kun. N-no one c-can duplicate chakra pathways."

"Yeah, and I was actually listening." Shikamaru drawled. "Each of the buttons on the flak jackets was a different color than the original." Naruto simply stared at him for a while before shaking his head. With a heavy sigh, he retied his mask back on, picking up his own travel pack. He wished he could seal it away, but Jiraiya had yet to get him started on the more important aspects of sealing.

When they returned to the outside, Hinata gasped slightly; in the time they had been in the Hotel room, flecks of white had begun to descend form the sky. The Kumo natives paid them no mind, but for many of the foreigners snow was somewhat rare. Suna, Konoha and Iwa had much hotter climates, and really only got a little cold during winter. But, it was November, and for many other countries snow was common at this time of year. It really made the village quite pretty to look at, the slate buildings accumulating their own piles of snow. They returned to the Academy on time, and followed the Chunin guards away from the village.

Their destination was quite a ways away, and Shikamaru quickly counted the other Genin as they walked. Kumo had the home advantage and six of their teams had made it through. Suna had three, Konoha four, Iwa two and none from Kiri. A few other villages, such as Ame, Kusa, and Taki had a few as well, totaling to 57 Genin. By the time they reached their destination, many of the teams were shivering, and he swore he heard Naruto sneeze a time or two.

A large, fenced off area sat in front of them, and a huge mountain reached towards the stormy clouds in the sky. Multiple cave mouths extended around the large base, but the trees and fencing prevented the Genin from seeing the whole way around; well, that and the sheer size. The oddest part was the eerie glow extending from the caves, an almost neon blue. Silence rang through the Genin, a few Kumo teams staring in shock, while the other teams stared in confusion.

Finally, a lone figure walked out from the front, a disturbingly happy grin on his face. Short, curly bleached-blond hair came to his shoulders, and his slate colored eyes roamed the crowd with disinterest. Unlike the normal Kumo uniform, he only wore a black turtleneck with the Kumo symbol stitched into the left shoulder, and long black Shinobi pants. Both of his hands were covered in bandages, which he fiddled with as he watched the crowd.

"Um, sir." One of the Chunin called shakily. "You can begin now." The man blinked for a few seconds, before finally focusing on the crowd. His smile dropped slightly, but reformed into an even larger grin.

"Well then, welcome my little Genin!" His voice was pleasant to listen to, and had it not been for the disturbing grin, he would have been quite nice to look at. "I am Special Jonin Ao Kisu, and your examiner for the second stage." Shivers went down the spines of some of the Kumo Genin, but Kisu paid them no mind. "Behind me is one of Kumo's most interesting attractions, the Bolt Cave Systems. The name comes from the odd, lightning charged rocks from the inside; they really are quite shocking." He giggled to himself for a moment, taking no mind he was the only one laughing.

"Your challenge itself is really the interesting part." The odd Jonin mused, finally done with his laughter. "Every Tem will get their own starting cave, but after some time the cave systems will begin to intertwine. The peak of the mountain cave is the end, but only very few teams pass this part, really." He didn't seem at all saddened, continuing merrily. "Every team will be given their own stone, which can be one of four colors, red, blue, green, and yellow. You must have a full set of four, one of each color, at the end, you see. You can steal them from other teams, or you can find them inside the cave. There will be four rooms that hold colored stones, but there will only be five of each in that room. If someone gets there first, oh well. You must get to the end at the end of five days, or forfeit. After this, anything goes." Kisu shrugged, and one of the Chunin coughed slightly.

"Right. Everyone will be directed to a different gate, and you will not be allowed to leave before the end of the test-"

"And anyone left over will be found at a later date when my Rat summons come through the caves. Dears, I do hope they aren't hungry by then." Kisu added once more, holding up his bandaged hands. "Biting is their way of showing affection!"

-o-

Team Jiraiya stood at their individual cave entrance, looking ahead at the steel door that covered it. Hinata had already confirmed it, and the cave itself, to be chakra reinforced, so there really was no way of leaving the once they entered. The Chunin guard had his hand on his ear, listening to final instructions. Finally, he put up his hand, all five fingers extended. The Genin moved to ready positions as he began to count down, a buzzer ringing through everyone's ears as he hit zero.

The gate was open in a flash, and where Team Jiraiya had just been now lay nothing but upturned snow and dust.

-o-

**This is a bit shorter than what I normally do, but I didn't want to get into too much of the Second exam.**

**Thanks for all faves, reviews, views, and follows. I hope you're enjoying this just as much as I am!**


	13. Bolting Through

**Hello again lovelies! Thank you all for waiting diligently, but I have some news for you! I suggest you go and re-read chapter one, as it has gotten a major facelift. I was pretty dissatisfied with how it was written, and redid it some time ago. Anyway, to the chapter!**

-o-

DISCLAIMER

Lol nope, still don't own.

-o-

After a few minutes of running, the masked Konoha-nin came to a halt, looking at the scenery around them. The Bolt caves were nothing like Team Jiraiya expected. The walls were a dark slate blue, illuminated by the odd glowing blue stones that covered all available surfaces. They came in various sizes, from ones the size of a hand built into the wall, to ones larger than all three Genin squished together. No other teams appeared to be in sight, Hinata having activated her Byuakugan upon entering the cave. Multiple roads stretched out in front of them, three options for them to take to the next route. One went up while the others stretched down, but nothing could be heard other than steady breathing and the drip of the cave walls. Naruto had been the one to hold the medal, the yellow-plated metal cool in his hand. The kanji of 'wind' had been stamped onto the front of the octagonal shaped object, and it sat a little larger than his palm.

"So, what now?" None said anything, and Naruto found himself annoyed by the masks that restricted him from seeing the other's faces. He wasn't as good at reading body language as the other two were, but it didn't take a ninja to realize they were all nervous.

"Well, a-a plan would be best…" Hinata offered, never turning off the stream of chakra to her eyes.

"Hinata, can you see through the passages?" Shikamaru finally questioned, watching as she nodded her head. "Alright. Keep your Byuakugan on, and Naruto, give me some paper and ink. A map in going to be our best bet in here. You describe it Hinata, I'll draw it out, and Naruto, keep watch."

Both Hinata and Shikamaru sat crossed-legged on the oddly-clean ground, Naruto pulling out the necessary supplies from his bag. Hinata's eyes didn't have a very large range yet, but it was definitely helpful. Every so often they would move farther in, having picked the path on the middle on their female teammate's advisory.

An hour in Hinata suddenly squeaked, stiffening ever so slightly. "T-there's a room, about 30 ft left through the wall..." She trailed off, pushing her range a bit farther. It was difficult to determine the paths as all the walls had chakra running through them, but the longer she stared the easier it became. "It doesn't look like anyone has found it y-yet." Shikamaru quickly sketched it down, before stopping as both of his teammates stiffened for a second time.

"You see them, Hokori?" Naruto whispered, listening to the quiet patter of footsteps as her quickly switching over to Hinata's code name. She nodded, watching as Shikamaru stood, moving in front of her along with Naruto.

"Y-yes, from the north end of the tunnel. Taida, they've all got small chakra levels, so this should be an easy fight. I'll leave it to you two." She spoke to Shikamaru, watching as he nodded slightly. Naruto had already set up traps on both walls, and the Nara had already thought of a plan to deal with them all. Now, all they had to do was wait.

The incoming team was easily heard after a few seconds, making no attempt to silence their footsteps or their bickering. It wasn't until they were in range of the traps that they noticed Team Jiraiya, whose ANBU attire made it measurably easier to blend into the shadows. Three young Kumo Nin who seemed to still think they held a home advantage stiffened as they saw them, the tallest boy sneering. "Are you kidding?! Someone entered babies into this stupid exam, and Konoha ones at that!" The girl behind him rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, giving warning glares to the one who declared himself 'leader'. The other boy simply nodded, not really knowing whose side to stay on.

"Gekkido, number three."Shikamaru whispered, switching to Naruto's codename. The blond simply snapped his fingers, only the girl noticing the action and moving from the trap area. The unlucky boys, on the other hand, did not. The simply found themselves wrapped in spools of ninja wire, the steel cutting into their flesh, enough to hurt but not harm. Shouts of indignation bounced off of the walls, and the remaining Kumo Genin grated her teeth angrily and pulled out a set of Kunai, moving to set the boys free. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

The girl froze, looking at the Genin that had spoke before her eyes widened. A small flame danced in the palm of his gloved hand, the boy beside him holding the end of the ninja wire. It would be comically easy for his to ignite it...

And her teammates with it.

"We'll give you the stone." The Kumo kunoichi finally stated, ignoring the twin shouts of "Risuna!" from her teammates. "Just, don't set them on fire, please." The now identified Risuna dug in her pockets for a minute, pulling out a dark blue stone similar to the yellow one Naruto held. Shikamaru nodded at her, watching as the Kumo Nin carefully placed it a few feet in front of herself, backing away slowly with both arms raised. That was nice, but they had forgotten on thing:

Hinata.

Risuna, nor her teammates, saw the small girl creep behind them, the shadows masking her small frame perfectly. All it took was a senbon to the back of the neck and the girl was out, her teammates soon following. The administered poison was potent enough for 48 hours of sleep, in which team Jiraiya would be long gone. Five minutes later and there was no trace, save for the tied up team of Kumo Nin settled safely against a cave wall.

-o-

It had taken almost a day, if Naruto had been counting right, to reach the room Hinata had first found. It was quite small, only large enough for a circular table and a bit of moving. The table itself was circular shaped, a large glowing stone jutting out from the very center. Around it were the smaller token stones, thankfully in the color red. Naruto added it to his collection, pocketing it and ignoring his growling stomach. Slightly.

He could only chuckle as the masked faces of Hinata and Shikamaru turned towards him, the latter sighing in exasperation. "I suppose we can stop for now. Its no use working on an empty stomach and low chakra levels." The blond Genin could only sigh in relief, a eliciting a giggle from his female companion. "Hinata, if you could as we discussed?"

The girl nodded, facing towards a sturdy wall and running through hand seals with a quick mutter. "Earth Release: Earth Style Wall." A section of the wall surged for a moment, before collapsing with a shudder and revealing a carved out cave large enough for all three to fit inside. Earth Style Wall was normally used as a defensive move, but Jiraiya had taught them a tactic he had used when traveling, which was to make a safe hideout when one was not readily available. Literally, it could be done anywhere.

After a quick meal of ration bars, Shikamaru pulled the first shift and watched as the others tried to make themselves comfortable. Hinata had curled up in a ball almost, while Naruto simply slumped himself against a wall. As silence crowded over him, the Nara began to find himself thinking, something that he oddly didn't like to do. Thinking led to bad thoughts, things he would rather not think of.

The one thing he almost always thought of was why he was a Genin. As a Nara, he found himself wanting to understand things at quite a young age. He remembered his father telling him that the brains of Ninja children tend to develop at a faster rate than civilians, due to years of children soldiers. Shikamaru thought those had been done with years ago, but he was clear proof they hadn't. The things he had seen and done as an eight year old would have destroyed some people, and it was thanks to his precious people he hadn't. His thoughts wandered to his teammates.

Hinata was much different than when she first was added to the team. She had gone from a shy, stuttering child to a calm, but confident girl. The stutter was still there, but nowhere near as bad or noticeable. She held her head high, something that had been ingrained in her mind from weeks of harsh words from the female Sannin. She was definitely the Taijutsu specialist of the team, and her skill in poisons was incredible. They had yet to find a new method to using them, but her immunity was strong already.

Then there was Naruto. The boy that never stopped smiling or laughing, but could turn cold at any second. Had Shikamaru not known him better, he might have thought the happiness was fake; yet, the boy really acted that way. Something about him just made people gravitate towards the blond in ways the Nara couldn't understand, but didn't need to. Naruto was a friend, and an amazing trap maker. Jiraiya-sensei had made a good call on choosing that as a specialty, and seals went hand in hand. His stealth and ninjutsu skill was nothing to laugh at either.

Shikamaru could have dwelled on his team for hours, but Hinata had woken right in time to relive him. Taking a spot next to Naruto, he found himself dreaming of one of the happier times as Team Jiraiya.

-o-

"_Oi, Jiraiya-sensei! What are we doing!?" Naruto whined, dressed in civilian clothes and trailing after his master. The cool October air blew against his face, and the blond choose to ignore the sighs from his teammates. Both wondered where they were going, but after an hour of walking it was clear they would get no answer from the oddly stoic sensei._

"_N-Naruto-kun, maybe you should just wait."_

"_Yeah, quit being so troublesome for once."_

_Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully, paying no mind to the exasperated Genin as he headed down the worn dirt path. It was almost nighttime, and the sun could still be barely seen above the treetops. The Genin were surprised to see a town in the distance, and an oddly lit one at that. A red glow bounced from the streets, and as they moved closer they saw the full picture._

_A festival was spread out before them, vendors and people of all ages simply having a good time. Children ran around with fox masks tied to their faces, adults standing and drinking merrily at the bar. Men and women with large puppets ran around, children jumping back in mock fear and excitement as the Kyuubi Attack was played out with childish simplicity. Jiraiya could only grin, nodding towards the center of town. "Meet me back when the final puppet show is over. You won't want to miss the fireworks."_

_With that he was gone towards the bars, and the three Genin were given a chance to lay back and relax for once. While they would never be like the children heir own age, they enjoyed themselves just the same. Games were played, food was eaten, and they shared in the simple delight of watching the large puppets dance and the 4th Hokage miraculously slay the large fox. _

_When they met Jiraiya back at the town exit, he led them a little ways out of town and onto one of the grassy hills. None moved for a while, but Hinata was the first to speak. "I-I didn't' know they held K-Kyuubi festivals outside of Konoha." She admitted._

"_They do, all of Fire Country celebrates it. If the Kyuubi hadn't died, they would have been killed as well." The sage noted. "Though, most don't tell the right story."_

"_You mean there's another version?" Shikamaru asked, immediately interested. Jiraiya nodded, taking note on the fact Naruto was oddly silent._

"_Yeah. I suppose it would be a good way to pass the time. It goes like this:_

"_In the time before the 3__rd__ Shinobi war, a princess was called to Konoha for a task only she could do. Her job was to be the jailor for the Kyuubi." Three pairs of eyes widened, but Jiraiya continued. "She was a stubborn girl, with determination none could match. After she had been given the beast to protect, she vowed to let none ever be hurt by the creature, deciding it would die when she did. But when she went to return to her home, the princess was crushed when she learned it had been destroyed. She had no choice but to stay and learn to be a soldier._

"_Years passed and she grew stronger in the want to become the next Hokage. She worked day after day, but at the age of only fourteen, she could not stop all enemies. Captured and defeated by Kumo, she had no choice but to leave a trail of her shining red hair behind her, in hopes that someone would find and save her. Luckily, someone did._

"_A boy her age, with a soft smile and glowing blue eyes saved her. The princess soon grew to love her knight, just as he began to love the princess in return. When they were older they were wed, having survived the war and misery and eager to start a family. Soon, she learned she would have a son. Yet, on the day she gave birth, welcoming her new baby into the world, she was captured once again._

"_The enemy took advantage of her weakness, forcing her to let the beast go. It rampaged, and the knight knew he must stop it. At the cost of his and his princess's life, they made their son into the next jailor, hoping he could accomplish the job they could not. That boy, turns eight today." None of the Genin had noticed the fireworks going on in the background, and Naruto could only squeak._

"_M-me?!" Shikamaru and Hinata's eyes widened, watching as their teammate shook where he sat. "I'm the jailor for the Kyuubi?"_

"_Yup!" They could only falter at their sensei's cheerful expression. "You have nothing to worry about, and you're doing great at your job already." Naruto processed it al over again, his teammates looking at him in awe. And then he realized it._

"_I'M THE SON OF THE HOKAGE!?"_

-o-

**I'm slightly curious; can anyone tell me what the Bolt caves are based off of? I'll give an Omake (with reasonable circumstances) to the first person to guess it correctly. I'll give you a hint:**

**Video games.**

**Good luck, thanks for everything, and see you next time!**


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